Life On The Other Side: Natovnia
by Kate-Emma
Summary: Complete - Part 2 of 6 – As Bolt’s trial draws closer, the team follow his connections to a Croatian arms dealer with a creepy agenda. But the biggest aid for the team comes from an old enemy revealed as an ally…
1. Natovnia

Life On The Other Side: Natovnia

CID takes up a campaign to bring down local brothel-king Craig Bolt on rumours of supporting the trade of underage prostitutes. What they uncover is more than they imagined…

In Part 2: Natovnia, the team are surprised when they find that someone they thought was crooked turns out good. Using this new aid, they follow up Bolt's connections to a Croatian arms dealer with a creepy agenda…

Rated M  
PC Millie Brown/DS Max Carter/OC  
Crime

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 'The Bill'.

**A/N**: I'm in major squee mode at the moment because I'm only hours away from finally seeing Smash and Grab (does it count as a first viewing if I watched the first 10 minutes of Part 2 online? Whatever, I'm taking it). I am very excited. Also, because I'm making a video for Max and Millie from it, The Canley Change-rooms have a post for it and god knows how many more one-shots will be spawned from it. Likely more than needed. Either way, as long as the writers are getting the message that more Max and Millie is key to the long-term survival of my obsession, it's all good. And so, with Smash and Grab under my belt by 10pm next Saturday night, my next aim will be finding more Max/Millie pairing confessions on profiles… (yes Megan, I totally own you now!). Enough chit-chat though, time to carry on the story. I hope you enjoy part 2…

_Chapter One;  
_Natovnia

Craig Bolt's trial on the following Friday was meant to be cut and dry. Bolt turns up, gets convicted and everybody carries on as normal. But as Millie learnt the Monday before the trial, things weren't that easy – especially when step one went very, very wrong.

"PC Brown." Sgt. Smith's voice carried down the halls as Millie walked with Sally from the change rooms. She stopped and smiled, letting Sally go on her way. Smithy ushered her closer. "Have you heard?"

Millie frowned. "Heard what?"

"Craig Bolt missed bail check-in for the last two days. I've sent Roger and Nate around there now to drag him in, orders of DS Turner."

"Thanks sarge." With a grin in his direction she headed upstairs to CID, pushing open the swinging doors when she got there with more hostility than she'd intended. Will, who was on the other side, had to step back out of her way.

"Millie, gee, in a good mood this morning?"

"Oh, sorry Will, I didn't see you."

"I'm glad it's not personal. I was coming to find you actually, about…"

She cut him off as she followed him into the office. "Craig Bolt's MIA, I know."

"She's psychic." Will grinned at Max who'd just glanced up from a pile of papers, gave her a blank look, and then looked back at his desk.

"No, just apparently everyone knows before I do. Thanks for the heads-up."

Max made to say something, but DS Turner joined them, motioning them towards the incident room. "Meeting in two…" He noticed Millie. "You're quick." He continued as if he'd never stopped. "…minutes. DI has a surprise for us. I'm hoping it's chocolate!" He gave a big, fake, smile and shook his fists like he was waving small flags. Millie chuckled as he walked off then, giving Max one more frown, headed to the incident room. Raising his eyes skyward as he looked at Will, Max stood and followed.

*

Millie scanned the small crowd in the incident room. The original investigation team, led by DS Turner, were all there. DC Kezia Walker had joined them, as well as Ben Gayle, Nate, Roger and Leon Taylor. Sgt. Smith stood by the door talking with DI Manson. It had been six days since they'd pulled in Craig Bolt off his pleasure craft the Sahara. Since then Millie had taken a back seat in the investigation, only called out of her normal uniform work for back-up on a raid or any work with the Roxons whom she'd grown a strong bond with. Since coming out of hospital, Eleanor's father David had moved in with Andrea and their daughter. Andrea had insisted it was to help him recover, but Eleanor had confided in Millie only Friday that she suspected more. Of course her work with the Roxons hadn't been case involved most of the time. After exhausting their link with the drugs, DI Manson had put them on the back foot, assuming their work with Bolt had been more unlucky than any kind of plan. Millie had thought the same, but still kept in contact, just in case. She was thoroughly enjoying the FLO position and didn't really want to think about giving it up.

As for anything else case involved, that morning had proven she was well behind in that area.

DCI Meadows entered the room, drawing Millie's attention when every face turned to the door. He nodded to them all and went to the whiteboard at the front. The room went quiet.

"Morning. As you know Craig Bolt has fallen off the radar since being bailed pending a court appearance. Sgt. Smith tells me he's missed the last two check-ins so earlier this morning we sent officers around to his home to chase him up. PC Valentine?"

Roger nodded. "Long gone. A neighbour said they thought they heard something on Saturday morning but we can't be certain it was Bolt. Either way, he's scooted off."

"What about the girls? Mrs. Bolt?" Ben asked, only seconds before Millie could.

"The girls cleared out when Hayleigh did, four days ago."

"She left him two days after he was arrested?" Ben spoke again, frowning at Roger who just shrugged.

"So, back to the case," Max spoke up, sick of the gossip at the back of the room. "Any leads?"

DCI Meadows shook his head. "Not our end, which is why we've called in re-enforcements from Bolt's hometown and Manchester police have sent down someone who knows Craig Bolt like the back of her hand. Some of you may recognize her and I hope this answers your questions PC Gayle." Jack looked to the door. "DC Spark?"

Everyone glanced up at the doorway as the Manchester DC walked in. Indeed, pretty much everyone knew her, but not as a policewoman at all. She grinned at them, crossing her arms over her chest and letting her mahogany red hair fall over her shoulders. "Good to be back on the right side of the law." Hayleigh Spark, or who they'd known as Hayleigh Bolt, just grinned at their faces. "Miss me?"


	2. Spark

_Chapter Two;  
_Spark

"So, this whole time, you were undercover?" Stevie asked, handing DC Spark a mug of coffee.

Hayleigh nodded. "Yeah. You know what it's like." Stevie nodded back then glanced up. "Sorry, read your file. Read everyone's files. I like to know what I'm dealing with."

"And it's that retention of information that will hopefully help us with re-capturing Bolt." DCI Meadows said as they passed him back into the room.

DC Spark stopped. "It should sir. After three years of marriage you like to think you know someone."

"That's how long you were undercover? Three years? Surely Bolt isn't worth that!" Stuart laughed.

Hayleigh grinned. "No one's worth that. And, actually, it was seven years undercover. But it wasn't hard; I've known Bolt since we were six. We grew up in one of those estates where you either go to crime or go to the right side. He chose one way and I chose the other. Then, when his name came up, I knew I could get back in with him. I was supposed to be under for a year, but then he started in with…" Hayleigh walked up to the whiteboard and wrote on a name. "Archibald Natovnia, a Croatian arms dealer. We're not talking your average pimp here anymore."

"We thought that might be the case. He's been suspected of being in a lot deeper than just a kilo of drugs." Stuart frowned at the name. "But what do we know about this guy?"

"Not enough unfortunately. He came onto the scene two years ago back in Manchester, but he keeps himself to himself. Has other people run the connections for him."

"And his connection to Bolt was through?"

Hayleigh pouted. "I never really found that out, but I suspected Nikolai Brecht. Could be wrong though."

"So why did you leave the undercover job now?" Leon spoke up for the first time.

Hayleigh sighed. "I blew my cover." She shrugged. "I didn't know about the drugs. I didn't see it coming at all. I was sent in a few years ago regarding his treatment of the girls but then he started the business with Natovnia. I didn't know about the underage girls allegations until you lot started sniffing into our operation. I called my boss and he told me what you were up to. Unfortunately I think one of the girls heard that phone call."

"That was when he figured it out?" Millie asked.

"Well, obviously not straightaway. Bolt isn't all there in the brains department. I managed to snake my way back in. The day after you bailed us I got a call telling me to pull out straightaway, that Craig had been heard discussing me with one of our informants. And what he said, it isn't what you usually say about a loyal wife."

"He was planning to take you out?" Millie sounded shocked, almost gasping her response.

"Well, that's the short and curlies of it PC Brown." Hayleigh smiled. "I didn't see him again, I just packed my stuff and left. I don't know if he knows I'm a cop or if I was just selling him out, but either way I don't really need to know, I just want to see him make this trial next Friday."

"So, it wasn't you who tipped off Bolt that we were at the docks?" Max asked, frowning at her.

Hayleigh glanced at him with one raised eyebrow. "You think?" She rolled her eyes as she looked away.

"Well someone did and you must have a pretty good idea of who."

She nodded, turning her attention back on the DS. "I have a list of Craig's connections, 100+ names long. Any one of them could have told him."

"Have a list done and on my desk by 1100 DC Spark." DI Manson added to the conversation. "But until then our focus is on finding Bolt. Once we've done that we can work on who tipped him off." He looked at PC Brown. "Millie, get over to the Roxon residence and see what they think of the situation." Millie nodded. "Also test them with the name Natovnia, see if they recognise it." Millie stood and left the room quickly. "Roger, Nate, Leon, Ben, Kezia." The men nodded and Kezia smiled. "Back on to Bolt's neighbours. Find out anything you can about Bolt's visitors."

Hayleigh butted in. "This might help Guv." She handed Neil a small disk, a CCTV disk. "It's some footage of Natovnia."

"Could we have had this five minutes ago?" Neil frowned, lowering his voice to her. Hayleigh just shrugged. "Okay, Will, get a still off this then take it down to uniform when you've got it." Will, Kezia and the PCs left. "Max, Stevie, go find Mr. Holman, see if he knows anything about this." They nodded and left as well. "Stuart, go brief the media department about the new line of inquiries. Apparently papers are getting interested."

"Fantastic, just what Bolt needs, a bigger ego." Stuart muttered as he left the room. Smithy and the DCI went too, leaving just Neil and Hayleigh.

She smiled. "You want a catch-up of our work so far, don't you Guv?" He nodded. "Okay, let's see if I can sum this up in less than an hour." She grinned and grabbed a whiteboard marker. "It started five years ago in suburban Manchester…"


	3. Stevie

_Chapter Three;  
_Stevie

"None of this would've happened if they had just let us hold Bolt." Max muttered. Stevie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye but said nothing. "Typical undercover types, they never tell us anything."

"The DCI knew. It's not for us to know."

Max ignored her and kept going. "All the time wasted on interviews, trying to gather evidence, and the whole time she was undercover. Makes us look like idiots."

Stevie grinned. "You're still sour she played you with the phone business."

"No." Max replied, but his response was too quick for it to be the truth. Stevie kept grinning. "No, it's the manpower wasted. Aren't you unhappy about it?"

"It's the job sarge. Give it a try sometime, it's not as easy as you think."

Max went quiet for a minute, thinking, and then crossed his arms. "Undercover jobs end when you get something on the suspect. Why keep playing when she realised we had something to charge him with?"

Stevie frowned. "I think you're missing the issue here sarge. We DIDN'T really have anything to charge him with. It was all circumstantial. A kilo of drugs? What's that these days? A slap on the wrist? She was chasing the big time. Gun running. Illegal arms dealing." She glanced at him to find him actually listening for the first time ever. "She stayed under so when he was done with his community service or whatever other ridiculously low sentence they gave him, she could keep on with this Natovnia business." She frowned. "Say whatever you want about her sarge, but she knows her job."

Max was quiet for the rest of the trip back to the station; simply flicking through his notebook at what information they'd collected off Ben Holman. Stevie grinned. She'd won this war.

*

"And when was this taken?"

"About eight months ago but I'm pretty certain he's still in the area." Hayleigh tapped the screen. "That's Natovnia in the centre, his handler Rhys Young to his left and his customer turned out to be a Sheffield businessman named Lester Moore."

"What happened to them?"

"Moore's at her Majesty's pleasure, but he couldn't or wouldn't give us anything on Natovnia. Rhys Young was killed in a shoot-out with CO19 about five months ago. Robbed a grocery store then wandered out into the street pointing the sawn-off at passers-by."

"So there's no chance with either of them?" Hayleigh shook her head as Neil motioned to the last guy in the frame. "Unknown?" Hayleigh nodded. "Okay, so a dead-end?"

"Which is why it's been doing nothing but burning a hole in my pocket since October."

"How about this list of names? Bolt's associates? Any of them link to Natovnia?"

Hayleigh handed him the list she'd scribbled only minutes earlier. "Could be any of them. Craig wasn't very good at keeping his friends to himself, but Natovnia's a pro. I don't believe Craig ever met him, but he had dealings with him, and it could've been through any of these men." Neil scanned the list, roughly 30 names long, and recognised a few. "Natovnia keeps himself to himself, as I've said, and once it becomes public knowledge where he is and who he's with, he moves on."

"So it's imperative we find him as soon as possible." He put the list down on the desk, ignoring as the video behind him looped back on itself, showing again Natovnia and two men walking into the darkened alleyway to meet Lester Moore and hand over a small package. The package contained a handgun that Moore would later use to shoot dead a burglar. He'd been charged for manslaughter and faced 15 years in prison. Hayleigh had only been able to read about the results in the paper, still undercover at the time. Her boss' name went on the arrest, even if it had been her footage that had almost had him down for conspiracy to murder. The jury hadn't seen it that way though, calling it self-defence. Her boss was still grumpy with that sentence. Neil continued. "Anything else?"

"Nothing Guv. He's slippery."

Neil nodded then glanced up at the swinging CID doors as Max entered and came to them. "Any luck with Holman?"

"He wasn't at work. Apparently he's come down ill in the last week."

Hayleigh snorted. "When he said he was allergic to coppers, I thought he was joking."

"Did you see him?" Neil asked, ignoring Hayleigh's snickering.

"Yeah and he gave us nothing, except maybe the risk of developing a head cold." Max took a seat. "He says he doesn't know Natovnia, but I don't believe it."

"And Bolt?"

"Doesn't know where he is. He seemed genuinely surprised Bolt had fled bail so I think he's telling the truth on this one." He motioned to the video before them just as Stevie joined them as well. "What's this then?"

"DC Spark's footage of Archibald Natovnia. It c…"

Stevie spoke over the DI. "Wait, who's that?" Stevie pointed to the 30-something brunette man standing behind Natovnia in the video.

"Unknown associate. Whoever he is, he hasn't got a record." Hayleigh explained.

"He's not that unknown. His name is Lewis Dunn. He was involved in David Bolt's car accident. I spoke to him. His registration should be in the report." Stevie grinned and Hayleigh beamed right back at her.

"Nice."

"Agreed, nice work DC Moss. If you could find that report?" Stevie nodded and rushed off as Neil looked back at the footage. "I think we've got a lead."

"Great, now what am I gonna tell the boss? We spent months trying to get a breakthrough you lot got in ten seconds." Hayleigh grinned at the DI. "There goes Manchester's pride."


	4. Stuart

_Chapter Four;  
_Stuart

Within seconds of pushing open the CID doors, Millie was being directed to go right back out of them. Having spent the last 20 minutes with the Roxons, she'd returned to CID preparing to inform them that the family had never heard of Archibald Natovnia when she'd been met at the door by DS Carter telling her to turn around and head back before thrusting a picture into her hands. She pouted. "Couldn't have given me this task when I was still at the Roxons?"

"No, because you wouldn't've had this." He tapped the picture and gave her a blank look.

She made to protest but his frown deepened and she sighed. "I'm going sarge." She turned, folding up the picture and shoving it in her jeans pocket, before bounding downstairs

Max turned and went back inside to listen to Stuart, who had just returned from the media department, going on about a report just come in from a local paper. "Don't ask me where they heard about it, but by the sounds of it they want a witch hunt. Media department are getting calls every few hours from the head editor who wants a report right now. I told them to threaten him with PCs on his door, but they don't want to annoy the public."

"Probably a good idea. What are they telling him?" Neil frowned at Stuart's empty threats to the editor of local paper the Canley Commercial.

"Nothing. He doesn't know Bolt's name, just knows about a wanted drug runner who escaped bail. Reckons the public can help us catch him. Apparently Superintendant Heaton has been threatened and he jumped at the chance. Probably a bad move on media's part but they don't tell me how to do my job and I don't tell them how to do theirs."

"What did you give them?"

"The old 'we have a new line of enquiry' bull." Stuart sat down at his desk, frowning at the computer screen for a second before flicking it on with his thumb. "One of the PCs down there looked about ready to kill me. I think they've had enough of this too. I wouldn't swap jobs with them any day." He turned his attention on a half-empty cup of cold coffee, frowning at it with a wrinkled nose. "They're going to issue a report, before Canley Commercial's editor makes out Bolt is some psycho-killer hell-bent on the destruction of London. You know, like Hitler with a Manc accent."

"They were after a statement from you. What did you give them?"

"You mean the whole 'we have a new line of enquiry' line doesn't work anymore?" He beamed but Neil stayed blank. "I told them to put in that Sun Hill had acquired the help of other nicks to find this man. I thought that would do. Bit of good press for our Northern friends." He winked at Hayleigh who shook her head.

"Okay, that should hold them off for a while."

"Guv, I wouldn't stress, it's the Canley Commercial. It's a free paper run by an old guy who used to own a Fish & Chip Shop. No one reads it."

"I use mine to line the cat box." Stevie added, speaking up from behind a pile of papers on her desk.

Stuart snorted. "See guv, no problems. You mark my words, this won't go too much further than a small story in the corner of the third page." Neil nodded and turned his attention back to a conversation with Hayleigh. Max returned to his desk. Only Stuart frowned at his blank computer screen, hoping he was right.

*

"You're back." Eleanor smiled from the doorway as she opened it. "Forget something?"

"Are your parents still here?"

Eleanor nodded, her smile falling. "In the kitchen." She opened the door wider and Millie walked in, making straight for the kitchen. Eleanor followed. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Andrea? David?" The pair looked up from the kitchen table where they'd been talking over cups of tea. "I just have a quick question. Have either of you heard of a man named Lewis Dunn?"

David stood. "Why? Does he have anything to do with this Natovnia man you're after?"

"We believe he does have a connection to Natovnia, yes."

David looked at Andrea who was frowning. "Have you heard the name?" Andrea shook her head. "I'm sorry, no."

Millie remembered the picture and withdrew it from her pocket. She shook out the paper and placed it on the table in front of them. The adults looked at one another, saying nothing until Eleanor leant across the table and clicked in their face. They both looked up at her. "Tell them."

Millie frowned at her. "Tell me what?"

"We know him." Eleanor started.

"Ellie." Andrea warned.

"No, enough. Whoever this Natovnia guy is, if Millie says he's bad and this bloke is a way to get to him, then I'm going to tell her." Ellie picked up the paper. "This man is uncle Craig's right-hand man. Craig sends him around every so often for money. Dad owes him £50,000."

Millie looked at David. "Is this true?" David nodded solemnly. "This man, Lewis Dunn, he was at your car accident last week. You knew him then?" David nodded again. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was a bit preoccupied by the situation then." He protested, standing quickly. Millie stood her ground and he sat down again. "I wasn't sure I recognized him, then I heard the name Dunn. I don't know him as Dunn. He calls himself Mr. Lloyd to me."

"And he works for Craig?"

"He works for whomever it is that I owe money too. I asked Craig for the money, whether it's his or not I don't know, but this man…" he tapped the paper. "He knows Craig."

Millie looked between the three of them. "I'm going to need you to come down to the station and make a statement on that."

David was hesitant to reply so Eleanor spoke up. "They'll come." She glared at her father. "Won't you dad?"

"Let me get my jacket." David shuffled from the room as Millie withdrew her phone and called the station. "Guv?" Neil's voice came through the phone. "Yeah, I'm at the Roxons. We might have a development regarding Bolt's connection to Natovnia." She smiled at Neil's congratulations. "I'm bringing the Roxons in now to make a statement. Yeah, see you soon." She flipped the phone shut as David appeared in the doorway with his jacket. "Okay?"

Eleanor beamed. "Let's go."


	5. David

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 'The Bill'

Chapter Five;  
David

The team were waiting for Millie when she re-entered the CID office. Stuart came to her first. "Good work PC Brown." Millie smiled.

"Andrea and Eleanor are in the soft interview room. David's in the front office. He's not going to give up a statement too easily. He's really scared of Mr. Dunn."

Stuart nodded. "Okay, we'll have to pull the big guns on him then. Who do we know could scare a statement out of someone?"

"You sarge?" Millie smiled warmly and he grinned.

"Stoking my ego will get you everywhere PC Brown, but I was thinking someone less handsome." He glanced back at the others. "Max, DC Spark." He waved them over. Max trudged up, hands in his pockets, and Hayleigh followed quickly. "David Bolt is down in the front interview room. Apparently he knows Lewis Dunn and his connection to Craig, but he doesn't want to play ball."

"He's only down here because his daughter forced him to come." Millie explained.

"You two get him to talk." Max glanced at Hayleigh before looking back at Stuart with a 'with her?' face. Hayleigh didn't notice, just giving Stuart a smile before dashing back to her desk to grab her suit jacket. "Millie and I will talk to Eleanor and Ms. Roxon."

Just as Hayleigh started back towards them, Will came through the doors, glancing up at them as they conversed near the entrance. Max spotted him and gave a small smile. "Will, you and me, front interview room." He waved a finger and Will stopped, turning back through the doors. Before Stuart could say a thing, they were gone.

Millie gaped. "What was that all about?"

Stuart shook his head. "It was just Max being Max." He turned and spotted Hayleigh watching blankly. "Head down to the interview room, I'll join you in a second." Millie nodded and left. Stuart returned to his desk, passing Hayleigh who had set up a makeshift desk on Jo's usual desk. "Change of plans. You have some catching up to do."

She joined him. "You know, I'm not too good at reading people, but I don't think DS Carter likes me very much."

Stuart chuckled as he turned to her, holding a small pile of papers. "Don't take it personal – DS Carter doesn't like anyone." He grinned and handed her the papers. "Some light reading."

"Cheers." Hayleigh frowned at the reports then took a seat.

*

The Roxon women looked up slowly as Millie pushed open the door and entered the soft interview room. She smiled at their nervous faces as their eyes fell upon Stuart. "Eleanor, Andrea, this is Detective Sergeant Turner. He's leading the investigation into Craig and his associates. He'd just like to ask you a few questions about Lewis Dunn."

Andrea nodded slowly as Stuart came to her and shook her hand, introducing himself. "We'll tell you everything we know, but I'm afraid that's not a lot."

"Just anything you can Ms. Roxon."

Andrea sighed and Eleanor squeezed her hand for support. Eventually Andrea spoke. "David fell into some financial trouble about a year ago. He asked me for help, but at that stage I was struggling as well and I couldn't do it. So he went to Craig. Craig's never been short of money and has always been very keen to show it around, but he's not too happy with lending it out to people, even to his own brother. But eventually David had to take it."

"He couldn't do it the legal way through a bank or credit union?"

Andrea shook her head. "David has a bad credit history. Really bad credit. It all started when he was nineteen and his father took out some loans in his name. See, David's father was a gambling addict. He has a record too." Stuart shot Millie a glance that read 'remind me to look that up when we get out of here'. "That really tarnished David's credit. When his business first opened up in Manchester, the loan was in my name. Eventually, when we started getting really popular, we thought it would be okay. We'd paid off the business loan, the house mortgage and everything was in David's name. It meant a lot because finally he was supporting his family. Then one of David's associates told him about an opportunity down here, a chance to extend the business. So we came down here, and Craig and Hayleigh came too. That was when the problems began." She sighed. "After Samuel ran away and David moved out things started to go, well, not normal but smooth. The business was doing so well David even managed to buy his own place."

"16 Doral Rd?" Stuart asked.

Andrea nodded. "We spoke often and he said that when we patched things up he'd sell it and we could get a really nice place on the other side of London, the nicer side." Andrea gave a sad smile. "But then the Manchester business had problems. A new local plumber had moved in right across the road from David's headquarters. People liked him better, probably because he was still in the city, and he started to expand. Soon he became Manchester's biggest plumber, 14 branches all across the city, and David was forced to close. Manchester used to be a big city with a small town feel. You'd support your locals, ignore big business and be good to your neighbours but now it's changing. It's just like London – survival of the fittest. David's not the fittest, which is why his business began to fail and he had to get that loan off Craig." She bit her lip. "I wish we'd never moved down here."

"How did Lewis Dunn become involved? What has he been doing?"

"It started small, just little reminders through the door at the start of the year saying 'your husband owes me £50,000, don't forget' then he started showing up with the notes in hand and this really cold smile on his face. He introduced himself as Mr. Lloyd, said he was working for an associate of David's debt collector. He never used a name, which was what got me. He never once said 'I'm here to collect Craig's money'."

"And it got worse?"

"He turned up at my school, wanted to give me a lift home. I ran to a teacher and he left, but when he turned up at the house later that afternoon I realised who he was." Eleanor spoke up, directing her answer to Millie.

"Did you talk to the police about this?" Millie leant forward, ceasing her note taking and silently wondering if any of this warranted being pulled in for questioning.

"We didn't want to, in case any of this got David into more strife." Andrea sighed heavily again. "He didn't turn up there again and two months later Eleanor started at university so we left it there."

"And that's it? That's everything he's done to you?"

Andrea nodded. "He's come back more often now that David's come home. He's harsher, colder than he ever was before. I think he's been worse to David than he has to us."

"You don't know what he's done to David?"

Andrea shook her head. "He never tells me anything."

*

It had been almost 25 minutes since the start of the interview before Max and Will got the breakthrough with David that they needed. Up until that stage David had been avoiding the issue of Lewis Dunn, instead just talking about the family business and how he'd failed as a father. The self-pity had almost made Max want to reach across the table and hit him, but he held back with the last of his determination. The breakthrough came from the interview with Andrea Roxon as Millie turned up in the doorway and Will went to chat with her. Max stayed in his seat, frowning at David who was now rubbing his hands through his greying hair. Stress-caused greying hair, Max guessed, because David couldn't be much older than himself. And by stress what he really meant was brother-caused. Will returned to the desk with a page of Millie's handwritten notes and Max scanned them, his eyes stopping on the account of Lewis turning up at Eleanor's school.

"Intention to kidnap maybe?" He thought aloud, turning his eyes on Will in the hope David would think it conversational rather than a ploy to make the father talk. It worked as David looked up quickly.

"What?" Colour drained from his face.

"Oh, don't you know? Lewis Dunn turned up at your daughter's school at the beginning of the year and tried to get her into his car. Personally I think we could pull him in for a talk about that."

"He did? When?"

Will frowned. "Your wife didn't tell you Mr. Bolt?" David shook his head. "Mr. Dunn has been harassing your family for quite some time according to this." He tapped the piece of paper and David's eyes flicked to it. "Did you think it started when you moved in with them?" David nodded slowly, his eyes scanning the page as he tried to read it upside-down.

Max put him out of his misery and rotated the page so David could read it. "Your brother sent Lewis Dunn to bully your wife and daughter. Does that sound like him?" David didn't move so Max continued. "Why are you protecting him?"

David looked up quickly. "I'm not!"

Will got it before Max did, something that irritated the DS for just a second. "You're scared of him. You're scared of your own brother?"

David shook his head resolutely. "I'm not scared of Craig. It's not Craig's money I borrowed." Eventually he gave up what they wanted to hear. "The money was from Archibald Natovnia, the man Millie told us about. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but Lewis Dunn works for Natovnia, not Craig. And it's Natovnia I'm scared of."

"What did he do?"

"He put me in hospital and he promised to do it again." David hung his head. "And he promised if he couldn't get me to do it to, he'd hurt Eleanor instead."


	6. Lewis

_Chapter Six;  
_Lewis

"Success." Stevie waved a sheet of paper triumphantly. Hayleigh looked up from her reading. "This is the last time I let Will sort files. It wasn't even with the David Bolt stuff. It was logged away with the file on Samuel Bolt."

"Maybe he's keeping unknowns together?"

Stevie shrugged. "If that's the case then he can put his organisational skills in there as well." She tapped away at the computer, putting the address into the system. "There, safe and sound." She pushed herself out of her seat. "I'm going to take this to the DI. Could you go down to the front office and tells DS Carter we've got an address? Maybe that will spurn David Bolt on." Hayleigh looked away. "What?"

"Nothing, just right now I'd sooner poke a bear with a stick than face him."

Stevie laughed. "You're not alone in that opinion but come on, man up girl. He's all bark and no bite that one." With a grin Stevie left for the DI's office. Heaving a sigh, Hayleigh pushed herself from her desk and left the room.

*

As Hayleigh entered the front office, the three figures of David Bolt, TDC Fletcher and DS Carter were leaving the front interview room. Will was holding a sheet of paper in his hands and, as he spotted Hayleigh, he handed it to her. Max and David were too caught up in a conversation (more one-sided as Max was doing most of the talking) that they didn't even notice her arrival. As she finished scanning it she glanced at Will. "Nice work." He just shrugged with a smile and took the paper back.

"So, what's going to happen now?" David asked.

Before Max could talk, Hayleigh broke in. "We just found Dunn's address Mr. Bolt. Thanks to your testament of character, we'll be bringing him in." David looked at Hayleigh like she'd grown an extra head and she didn't blame him. It had only been a little over an hour since David and the Roxons had been told Hayleigh was a police officer. It was clearly still sinking in. "I'm sorry I had to lie to you so long David."

He nodded slowly. "You were doing your job, I understand it wasn't personal."

"Well, it was personal, just not against you."

"Was everything you told us lies? All of it?"

Hayleigh sighed. "Some of it."

He nodded slowly again. "I understand." They all fell quiet, David looking to the floor and Hayleigh trying to avoid Max's judgemental eye when the sound of the buzzer broke it. The four of them glanced up as the door behind them opened and three figures entered the front office. The smallest went straight to her father and hugged him as Andrea hung back with Millie, watching the exchange. "Did you tell them dad? Will he leave us alone now?"

"Why didn't you tell me he was harassing you? I wouldn't have let it get this far if I'd known." Eleanor just shrugged and David stroked his daughter's hair.

"Your father told us everything." Max said, addressing the girl. She nodded. "We're going to get Lewis Dunn right now."

Eleanor smiled. "Thank you."

Millie met Max's eyes with a warm smile then looked at Andrea. "Come on." She led the family from the front office as the others headed back upstairs. When they got there Stevie and Stuart were waiting for them.

"We've got Dunn's address." Stuart held a slip of paper out to Max. "Weymann Road." Max took it and glanced at it before shoving it in his pocket with a nod. He turned to leave when Stuart spoke again. "Max, take PC Brown, she's good with people like Lewis Dunn." Max raised a sceptical eyebrow but nodded and left.

Hayleigh looked at Stuart. "I'm on to you DS Turner." He feigned confusion. "'She's good with people like Lewis Dunn' my aunt Mary. I've been 'catching up' and I've noticed a trend. You're purposely putting those two on jobs together. Is there something I don't know?"

Stuart grinned. "That's why you're a detective." She gave him a single raised eyebrow. "I just like to keep Max on his toes. Plus, it turns out, PC Brown is the only person who annoys him more than I do."

Hayleigh laughed. "You're evil… brilliant, but evil." She nodded slowly. "I respect that." Stuart just grinned as they went back to work.

*

"It was nice, what you said to Eleanor." Millie broke the silence for the first time as they entered Weymann Rd. Max glanced at her for a second with a shrug. "Yeah, well, she appreciated it." She gave a small smile. "But I think it ruined that ogre vibe you seemed to be giving off."

Max ignored the jibe. "What number?"

Millie consulted the piece of paper he'd handed her when he'd met her in the front office earlier. "63." She glanced at the house numbers. "Five up." Max pulled over into the closest gap and shut off the engine, stepping out into the sunshine. "How do you think he's going to react to us?"

Max shrugged. "On the safe side, prepare yourself for a chase." They walked up to number 63, Max glancing down the side of the house. It appeared the back garden led around to the front. That was a plus because it meant for Dunn to escape he'd either have to jump the back fence or run back out the front. Max held back a bit just in case it was the latter as Millie rung the doorbell. After a minute or so of grumbling and shuffling, Dunn answered the door with a frown.

"Yes?"

The pair of them pulled out their warrant cards and before Max even had a chance to speak, Dunn's eyes had widened and he'd turned, bolting back into the house. With a sigh Millie followed, shoving the door back as she ran inside. As she neared him she slowed, realising he'd come to a standstill at the back door. He was fumbling with the lock. Shaking her head slowly, Millie dragged him back from the door and spun him around to face Max who was walking towards them down the hall, watching the whole exchange with a small smirk. "See Dunn, this is why all good crims keep their back door unlocked." Millie smothered a smile as Lewis' shoulders slumped. "You ready for a talk now?"


	7. Duggan

Chapter Seven;  
Duggan

"Expecting visitors Mr. Dunn?" Max asked, motioning to the vacuum cleaner. Lewis frowned and ignored the question. "Hope you haven't been cleaning up to try and impress Natovnia. I don't think he cares too much about cleanliness." Lewis shrugged silently. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness. What with gun trafficking and everything else we suspect he, and you, are involved in, I'm sure Godliness is not on his list of things to achieve."

As Max made himself comfortable on a lumpy brown leather armchair, Lewis sat nervously on the arm of the matching brown leather lounge. "Look, what do you want? I don't know any Natovnia, okay?" But he wasn't a very good liar, his eyes darting about the room.

"Don't spin me that Mr. Dunn. I can spot bull a mile away. Now, talk."

"Whatever you want, can't we do this later?" He glanced nervously at the clock. "I'm expecting someone."

Max just gave a cold laugh. "Now Lewis, when you say it like that I can't help but want to stay." He stood. "PC Brown, those teas; make it three."

Millie appeared in the doorway to the sitting room a few seconds later, giving Lewis Dunn a glance. "Have you been cleaning up in here Mr. Dunn?" She wiped the sideboard nearby with her finger and held it up. "Not a spot of dust in sight."

"Just what I said." Max looked to Lewis as well. "Apparently Mr. Dunn here is expecting a visitor."

"Oh really? Anyone we know?" Millie gave a smile, but it was all an act and Lewis didn't look up from the floor at either of them. "Oh well, looks like we'll have to stay and find out for ourselves." She shot Max a look then turned and started back to the kitchen.

Lewis finally spoke again. "It's not Natovnia okay?"

"So you admit, you know him?" Max took a seat again, staring at Lewis Dunn with narrowed eyes.

"You know perfectly well that I know him. It's why you're here. So who squealed?"

Max shrugged. "Who do you think?"

But Dunn didn't get a chance to reply as a voice spoke up from the doorway. "Sarge?" Millie held up a small bag of white powder. "It was in the kitchen." She gave a sly smile.

"That doesn't look like sugar Mr. Dunn."

"That's all of it, really." Lewis protested.

"Really? We've heard quite a lot about you Mr. Dunn, things worse than being a compulsive liar. Give me a reason to believe you."

"Because I…" then the doorbell rang and Lewis turned a shade of white Max had barely ever seen on a living person. His voice dropped. "Look, that's my landlord alright. He's the mystery visitor." The doorbell rang again and he called out to it. "Right there Mr. Duggan." Max bit back a smile. "He hates crims okay? If he sees you he might think…" He glanced at Millie, hoping for a break. "Please, just give me a few minutes with him. He just wants to make sure I haven't trashed the place."

Max looked to Millie and she nodded. "Alright Mr. Dunn, I'll be out the back if you want me." Lewis looked at Millie who'd pocketed the drugs and Max answered. "You're having a good morning Lewis. Clean house, happy landlord and a cute new girlfriend." He tapped Lewis on the arm as he left. "Don't stuff it up." Passing Millie, who avoided all eye contact with him as she lapped up the 'cute girlfriend' comment, he headed for the back door. Once he was gone Millie smiled at Lewis.

"Better open it then."

His hand shaking and still looking as white as a ghost, Lewis went to the front door and opened it. Millie leant on the living room doorway and smiled at Mr. Duggan, a frog-faced man who looked at Millie like she was something that had curled up and died in his shoe. "Who are you?"

Millie held out a hand with a smile. "Millie Brown, Lewis' girlfriend." She flashed Lewis a smile and he turned an even lighter shade of pale.

Frog-faced Mr. Duggan just glared at her. "You don't live here do you?"

Millie shook her head with another smile. "No, of course not." She laughed and shoved her hands in her jeans pockets, touching the drugs subconsciously. "Just visiting."

Duggan nodded and entered the house. After twenty minutes his tour was done, Millie sticking with Lewis the entire way lest he try anything. As Duggan finished he looked back at Millie with a frown. "You look familiar. Have I seen you before?" Millie gave a shrug. "Where did you say you worked?"

"I didn't." Duggan didn't even flinch. "I'm a waitress, on the High Street." Duggan seemed to accept that and, turning to Dunn and shaking his hand, left the house. Once he was out of sight Millie pulled out her phone and called Max, telling him he was free to re-enter then, leading Lewis back to the living room, waited in the doorway again. Max returned a minute later with his hands shoved in his pockets and watching Lewis with a frown.

"Your landlord doesn't like crims eh?" Lewis nodded silently. "So how would he feel about you? Working for a gun runner?" He motioned back at Millie who'd removed the drugs from her pocket. "Drug user." He looked to the PC. "Maybe we should just give him a call and tell him who he's housing here. A smackhead."

"Look, if he finds out I do that, I'm out on it."

"Then get Natovnia to put you up for the night." Max taunted, glancing at Millie again who was watching on, now hitting the plastic bag of white powder against the doorframe with soft slapping sounds. They seemed to get to Lewis who sighed.

"You don't get it. That's not how he works. We're not like that."

"So you're doing his dirty work, putting yourself in the line of fire, for what?" Millie asked. He looked up at her and she waved the bag. "Sounds like you're a bit of a pansy to me."

Max brought Lewis' attention back to himself, seeing what Millie was subtly implying. "Do us a favour Mr. Dunn and we can make sure all your landlord sees of you is a model citizen doing his bit for the community."

"You can do that?" He glanced at Millie.

She nodded. "Personal use, small fine, no need for your landlord to know. You can come with us now, 'help us with our enquiries', without any fuss. Or we can call in the uniform, get the neighbours chatting, and give this house a proper search for 'just in case' sake."

Lewis turned on Max who nodded. "You just have to help us help you."

Lewis gave in. "Fine." He hung his head as Max glanced up at Millie, watching her pocket the drugs again. She caught his eye and gave a small smile.


	8. Dunn

**Disclaimer: **I own 'The Bill'… okay, so, I'm a compulsive liar. Or am I? Can you trust a person when he says he's a compulsive liar?

_Chapter Eight;  
_Dunn

"Is Dunn in custody?" Stuart asked as Max walked back into the room. He nodded silently, going to his desk and grabbing a few papers. "Awesome, Spark, you're with me."

Max frowned and turned to Stuart just as Millie entered the office, her hands shoved in her pockets as she watched Max and Stuart on the verge of an argument. She caught Hayleigh's eye and slipped between them quickly, dancing across the space so she wouldn't break the momentary glare-off they had going on. "You and DC Spark?"

Stuart nodded. "Yeah. I need you to look into something with the media department for me. Apparently the Commercial's editor is giving us some grief again over the investigation. I made an executive decision to give him a hard time and who better than you to do it?" Stuart gave his usual charming smile but Max just seethed even more before stepping closer to Stuart and lowering his voice.

"No offence but Millie and I established a mutual understanding with him, especially Millie. She really got to him."

"Really?" Stuart frowned, glancing at the PC as she spoke animatedly to Hayleigh. "Alright, seeing as a Carter compliment is worth so much," he spoke up, catching the women's attention. "Millie, you're with me."

She nodded. "Yes sarge."

Max frowned as Stuart just beamed. "Oh come on Max, how did you not see that coming?" He left and Millie followed, giving Max a brief smile as she left. Max pouted and looked back at Hayleigh who was watching with a blank expression. She averted her eyes, going back to her pile of reports, and Max slumped back to his desk in silence.

*

Millie smiled at Lewis across the table. It had been over five minutes since they'd first entered the interview room and Stuart's businesslike tone wasn't working. He decided to let Millie have a go. She'd been smiling at Mr. Dunn for a few seconds before he caved. "Look, I don't know Natovnia personally okay?"

Millie nodded. "I believe you." Lewis gave her a strange look (as did his lawyer) before Millie continued, her sweet little smile still sitting on her lips. But, Stuart could now see, it was mocking. "You're just not far enough up the ladder are you?"

"Ladder?"

"Yeah, the ladder. There's Natovnia, the head of the operation. The big cheese. Then there's his heavies, they do all the security detail. Then there's his legal team. The bent ex-lawyers, maybe even a few cops I'd hate to admit. His runners are next. The couriers. They do all the groundwork, connect with people like you." She paused. "Then there's you."

"The fall-out boy." Stuart added, taking up Millie's tone whilst hiding his surprise at how well she knew the business. He'd always taken PC Brown as someone with book smarts. She was ordered, organised and friendly. But what she'd outlined to Dunn wasn't something you read in a book; it was a hard-learned lesson of life. She knew her job and the people she dealt with. She knew it better than anyone dared give her credit for, even himself. He almost frowned. Max had been right – Millie had got to Dunn and now he knew why. Knowledge was power and right now Millie Brown held the Ace of Spades.

"That's right. And do you know why they call you the fall-out boy Mr. Dunn?" Dunn stayed silent, frowning at the table. He knew the answer, that much was etched in his expression, but Millie continued anyway. "Because when the bomb goes off, you get all the debris heaped on top of you."

Dunn looked up. "Look, I don't know Natovnia okay? You said if I came in here you'd help me. It doesn't sound like you're helping me."

Stuart knew then that Millie had touched a nerve and stepped in. "Mr. Dunn we're trying to help. You told us you didn't know Natovnia personally and we believe you. But you do work for him don't you? Even if it is six or seven people down the line, you work for him. You harassed David Bolt and his family on Natovnia's say-so. As much as you want to think you're outside the clique, you're not." Dunn frowned again. "You're just that dumb kid the clique brings in to run all the dangerous jobs."

Dunn sighed. "If I help you, what are you going to do for me?"

"When Natovnia goes down - and Mr. Dunn, he WILL go down – we will ensure he doesn't bring you down with him. If he names you in any operation, anything, we can make sure you don't get as much time for it as he makes out you deserve. You just have to tell us first what he's doing and how to get to him."

He looked to Millie who gave him a nod and smile before heaving a sigh. "I do all my business through a man named Khalid Nadir. He's an Egyptian guy."

"Okay, so who is this Nadir? What does he do?"

"Well, he doesn't exactly have a working VISA but from what I've gathered he spends most of his days at a bar on Manly Rd."

"Which bar?" Stuart frowned, plying for more information.

"I don't know. Really, he doesn't tell me a lot, he just… most of it is what I get for listening in."

"Do you have a phone number for Nadir?" Dunn nodded silently. "Then call him and set up a meeting. We'll swoop in on him then."

Dunn looked scared. "No way! If Natovnia finds out I gave you Nadir, he'll kill me."

"There's ways we can protect you. Change your identity. Move you elsewhere."

"I don't want to move. I like my house."

Millie spoke up again. "Mr. Duggan is a creepy old man Mr. Dunn. When you turned away to explain how clean the ensuite was, he rifled through your drawers." Stuart tried not to look too disgusted as Lewis looked to Millie. Again she smiled and nodded. "Help us and we'll help keep you away from bad influences AND the landlord from hell."

Dunn sighed again. "Okay. I'll call him. Get me my phone."

As Stuart and Millie stepped out of the interview room, he turned to the PC. "You did well with him. Went all 'smiling assassin' on him." Millie gave her usual shy giggle, completely embarrassed by the compliment. "But the landlord business. Wasn't that a bit too cruel?" She arched an eyebrow. "It was a lie wasn't it?"

"Unfortunately sarge, it wasn't." Stuart grinned back at her before the two of them gave a shudder. Then, with a laugh, Stuart headed to the custody desk to grab Mr. Dunn's phone and Millie returned to the room.


	9. Nadir

**Disclaimer: **I own nuthingk…

Chapter Nine;  
Nadir

"What's his name again?"

"Khalid Nadir. N-A-D-I-R." Millie repeated, watching Stevie type it into Crimint. Nothing came up. She frowned. "Either he's a cleanskin or just very good at staying out of trouble."

"Dunn hinted he was an illegal. Said he 'doesn't exactly have a working VISA'." Stuart included the quotation marks with curled fingers. Stevie chuckled and Millie smiled.

"I'll get on to immigration and the births office, find out if he is a legal. Not that it would surprise me if Natovnia was using illegals for his handiwork." Kezia said, rotating in her seat and grabbing the phone on her desk.

"How long have we got to organize the operation?" Max asked as he re-entered the office. Stuart turned to frown at him and his fresh cup of coffee but Max answered the question before he could even be asked it. "I don't like the press. I made an 'executive decision' not to go." He sipped his coffee, looking very pleased with himself as he returned to his desk, ignoring the figure of Millie who was seated on it. He gave her hand, which was resting on the desk behind her, a tap with the cup and she took the hint and got off.

"Midday sarge. Down on Arthurs Avenue at the back of the Whitegate Estate and park. Nadir takes his young son out to lunch everyday." Millie told him, now standing beside his desk.

Max glanced up at her. "Is the kid going to be there? I'm not getting a kid involved."

Millie's lips quivered the hint of a smile as Stuart snorted. "I didn't know you cared Max."

"I'm not dealing with the paperwork if he decides to take the kid as a bargaining tool." Max muttered quickly, not looking up from his desk. Millie's smile, barely formed, disappeared from her face. "Well?"

"He won't be there. Dunn told him not to bring him, said he had business to do and didn't want the child disturbing them. Dunn said Nadir agreed."

"Okay." Max glanced at his watch and stood up. "Let's get this done then. Incident room, five minutes ago." He left the office at double time.

"I hate working with him." Stuart muttered.

Millie gave him a smile as he and Hayleigh passed her. "On the plus side, you never get bored."

*

Neil stood in the Incident Room, a hastily drawn plan etched out in front of him. "Okay everyone, sorry for the quick call together but we haven't got long." He shot Smithy and the rest of uniform a silent look of apology and Smithy smiled. "At midday our only connection to Archibald Natovnia the suspected gun runner and ally of Craig Bolt, Lewis Dunn, will be meeting Khalid Nadir," he had no photo of Nadir to touch so just tapped the name on the whiteboard. "Nadir is Dunn's access to Natovnia, the higher-up in the chain. If we can bring Nadir in, we can keep working up this ladder until we get to someone of importance. But Nadir's an unknown. We don't know what he's capable of. For that reason it's integral Dunn stays protected at all times. I have CO19 in support just in case Natovnia's been handing out those guns to his reservists. Also uniform, we'll need you in marked cars a few streets away in case anything goes wrong." The four men from uniform, the same team that had been in the briefing room earlier that morning, nodded silently. "Everyone else will be spread along the park. Max, Hayleigh in an unmarked car with half of CO19 just around the corner. Stevie and Kezia, you'll be watching from a building in Arthurs Avenue. Millie and Will in the park and Stuart, Smithy and I will be in an unmarked car at the other end of the street with the rest of CO19." A few nodded, but most of the room stayed silent, just looking at the map. The problem with Arthurs Avenue was that there were a lot of escape routes. If Dunn or Nadir wanted to get away, they could do so very easily. But Dunn had already agreed to work with them for his own safety more than anything else. Whether they could trust him or not remained to be seen. "Alright everyone, that's it. Good luck."

They all stood slowly, almost one at a time, and turned to their teammates. Hayleigh, who was in a good mood now she was finally leaving the office, just grinned at Max. "Someone drew the long straw getting to work with me." She ribbed.

He gave her a blank look and a completely deadpan answer. "Just focus on nabbing Nadir, okay?"

"Okay." She looked to Stuart as he listened in with a small smile. "You got it sarge."

"Let's get going. Max, take PC Brown and TDC Fletcher with you. They need to get Dunn so they'll meet you in the carpark." Stuart added. Will and Millie had already left the room to collect their 'bait'.

Max nodded slowly. "DC Spark, I'll meet you in the car." He walked off.

Hayleigh glanced at DS Turner. "Yay," she muttered, as deadpan as Max, "I get to work with cranky Mc Crank-pants today." Whisking her jacket off the back of her chair, she stalked after him. Stuart just shot the others a look and they smiled, leaving the room as well.


	10. Khalid

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 'The Bill'… yet! Mwah ha ha… I'll stop now

**A/N: **I wish I could say the long hiatus between chapters nine and now has been planned, but it hasn't. I got a massive brain freeze on everything for a while, went back to Sea Patrol momentarily, fell sick and then endured one horrible weekend involving illness and my team losing their Grand Final to a team that I hate (Die Melbourne Storm!). So no, it wasn't planned, it was laziness. Anyway, walking home from the job centre this afternoon I passed by a rundown house that inspired a future chapter (wait and see, it involves Mallie cuteness and a crazy cat lady!) and now it's inspired this. Enjoy…

Dedicated to Krissie; awesome writer, awesome friend, awesome rival for Max's one true love, awesome at prodding until things get done and just generally awesome. Love you babes.

Chapter Ten;  
Khalid

"Stay close to him. Whatever happens, don't let him out of your sight." Max's voice coming across her earpiece caused Millie to frown and glance up at Will.

"Is he serious?"

"He thinks we're idiots." Will smiled. "Just try and ignore it. When he's in one of his moods…"

Millie frowned. "And when is he not in one of his 'moods'?"

Will nodded slowly. "A good question." He shot her a cheeky grin. "He's just jealous because he doesn't get to play 'loved-up couple' with Sun Hill's cutest PC."

Millie slapped his arm softly. "Keep the sweet talk up Will and you'll be challenging Eddie for the womaniser spot."

"Which is my aim in life."

"Whenever you two are done…" Max's voice came across the earpiece again and Millie blushed furiously. He'd heard everything they'd said. Will had the sense to stop grinning and Millie hung her head, trying to ignore the little voice in her head that reminded her she wanted Max to be jealous.

"Sarge?" Will said, frowning at Dunn who was a few metres away, casting nervous glances between the street and the constables nearby.

"Just keep an eye on him, that's all I'm asking. And no, I don't think you're stupid – unless you leave your mikes turned on when you feel the need to insult me." Max's ending was so abrupt Millie actually thought for a moment that they had insulted him, but then reality set in. Max didn't get insulted. It was one of the many feelings he didn't have. But she decided to play it safe anyway and stay in his good books. So far he'd been nice to a child, complimented her, backed her work and been as nice as Max could be. It was strange and if Millie had the nerve she would've asked him if he was abducted by aliens during the night and came back… well, he still wasn't human, but he wasn't the Superintendant of Jerksville anymore either so…

"We know sarge. Sorry." Millie murmured into her mike, casting Will a look that simply read 'I'm not' before glancing back at Dunn. "He's looking at his phone, I think its Nadir. What should we do?"

"Leave it, he'd probably checking up to make sure Dunn is there. We should… hold on, I think we have an eyeball on Nadir coming from the park."

Will glanced over Millie's shoulder towards the park. "It's him sarge, I'm certain. Stand by for…" he didn't even get to finish his sentence as Dunn waved to the man they suspected. It was the confirmation they needed. "It's him, it's Nadir."

"Okay," Max's voice came back through the earpiece. "SO19 stand by and move in on my…"

"Wait!" Millie whispered harshly. "Over by the alleyway, the figure." She frowned at the man but he didn't notice her watching, too caught up in the friendly exchange between Nadir and Dunn. Then the man stepped into the light and Millie gasped. "It's Natovnia. I'm sure."

Max radioed the others but no one had sight of him apart from Millie and Will, and Will hadn't seen the photo so couldn't tell him from a bar of soap. "Millie, you're certain?"

"Sarge, I'd bet my life on it. Trust me, it's him."

Then Max said something Millie thought she'd never hear from him. "I trust you." He was off for a moment before the command for SO19 and everyone else nearby to move in on the alleyway came through. Just as the SO19 van rounded the corner, it was then that all hell broke loose. Nadir saw the van and withdrew a gun, little more than a pistol but enough to cause Will to pull Millie to the ground and out of the line of fire. SO19 reacted as expected, but this gave Natovnia just the chance he needed to get back into his car and drive away. Millie saw him go and stood to get a better look of the vehicle, completely forgetting the Egyptian with the weapon. "Natovnia's getting away in a dark green vehicle, partial registration Lima…" she gave a 'nugh' noise as Will pulled her down again.

"Get down and stay down Millie otherwise Natovnia isn't going to be our problem today, it'll be cleaning what's left of you up off the sidewalk."

"Sorry." Millie gave Will a smile and he shrugged. So Millie did as she was told and stayed down, watching SO19 back Nadir into a corner as he continued to wave the gun but fail to go through with his threats to fire. Millie listened through her earpiece as Hayleigh spoke to Neil; the two CID cars ploughing through nearby traffic to try and keep up with what they'd now recognised to be a dark green Toyota. As SO19 again ordered for the gun to be lowered, Millie realised why she felt something was missing. "Dunn."

"What?"

"Dunn, Lewis Dunn's gone. Did you see him go?"

"I was making sure you weren't shot!" Will looked around too and growled. "Slippery litt…"

Four shots cracked the air; the sound of gunfire ringing in Millie and Will's ears as they sunk again to the ground, covering their heads like they were trained to do. They listened to the bustle of the men from SO19 as they moved forward as one to take the gun, but Nadir was spooked and fired another two shots, emptying his barrel. The gun clicked empty but it was enough for SO19 to do as they'd been trained. They fired to disable. Nadir fell to the ground clutching at a point just above his knee, the pain evident in his eyes and Millie and Will stood, watching SO19 rush forward to stem the bleeding. An ambulance was called but all Millie and Will could do was look on, wondering how a sting so simple had turned so disastrous so quickly.


	11. Haygarth Court

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Max, Will, Neil, Stuart and Smithy I'd be a very happy gal… however, I do not own The Bill so… sad Kate-Emma. :(

Chapter Ten;  
Haygarth Court

"Left," Hayleigh called above the screech of tires and wail of sirens.

"I've got him." Max snapped back, keeping his eyes on the dark green Toyota in front of them.

Hayleigh just frowned then leant forward in her seat as she read the number plate with squinted eyes. As she managed to get it she grabbed her radio. "All vehicles, re: the dark green Toyota. Index is Lima, Tango, Whiskey, Four, Eight, X-Ray. I repeat; dark green Toyota, currently turning right into…" she paused, unable to read the street sign as they went past it.

"Haygarth Court Road," Max finished for her.

"… Haygarth Court Road. Index Lima, Tango, Whiskey, Four, Eight, X-Ray." She dropped the radio back onto her lap. "He's hit 90."

"I know." Max frowned at the speeding car. "And we're nearing a school zone."

"What? Is he aware?"

"'Does he care?' would be the better question." Max took another left and they started away from the school zone for a little longer, but as soon as they reached the end of the side street and turned right, they were headed back towards it again. "I'm calling off the chase." With that Max hit the brakes, slowing the car and allowing it to slide to a pause at a 45-degree angle, watching from his side-window as the green Toyota slowed accordingly then turned off into another side street. "Get onto uniform, tell them he's headed west towards the river on Barclay Avenue." Hayleigh nodded and did just that as Max thumped the steering wheel, swearing softly under his breath.

*

"What happened?" Neil frowned at the two of them as they took a seat in the back of CID's car.

Millie shrugged but Will responded. "I don't know guv, one minute it looked like it was going okay, and then he turned."

"I think Dunn tipped hi…" Millie trailed off. "We lost Dunn guv. As soon as Nadir started firing we hit the deck and lost him. Our fault."

"No one's fault PC Brown." Neil responded, turning on Will. "Did you see where he went?" They both shook their heads. "I think we can safely guess it was towards Natovnia, if that's really who it was." He looked at Millie. "You're certain it was him?"

"I'd stake my little sister's life on it." She nodded feverishly, more than certain, actually positive it was him. "And I think you're right about Dunn headed towards Natovnia. Which does, of course, make no sense in the grand scheme of things." Neil lowered an eyebrow as an indication to elaborate. "Dunn wanted away from Natovnia, this operation proved that, so why all of a sudden would he tell Nadir what was happening then jump right back into business with Natovnia? It makes no sense."

"He was playing us Millie." Will added to the conversation.

Neil nodded. "It was probably a diversion – lead us here so they can continue some dirty business elsewhere."

"Maybe, but that means their dirty business is taking place somewhere they think we'd be watching. There'd be no need to lead us away if we weren't watching it in the first place." Will continued.

"You're right. Get on to Stevie and Kezia, tell them to get uniform to give every place we've looked at during this investigation a once-over." Will got out of the car at almost the exact time Smithy got back into it.

"DS Carter and DC Spark have lost Natovnia," he said, returning his radio to the hold on his shoulder as he sat down. "And Stuart rang from the hospital, says Nadir is going to be fine but not up for any kind of interview yet. Doped up to the eyeballs on painkillers."

"Okay." Neil put his hand to his mouth and rubbed his chin with his ring finger and pinkie.

Millie watched him for a few seconds in silence then spoke again. "Now what?"

"Now," Neil responded through his hand. "Now we go back to square one."

**A/N: **I apologize for an awfully short chapter (I usually try to do at least 1,000 words but this time only managed 700!) so I promise to make the next one a little longer. I'll also update soon so stay tuned. Oh and thanks for holding out through the horrid writer's block period. This is slowly returning so hopefully all will be back on track soon! ;)


	12. Angles

**Disclaimer: **If I owned The Bill I would kill off the blue hue. DEATH TO THEE!

_Chapter Twelve;  
_Angles

Max was already waiting for the others as they entered CID all looking as crestfallen as they felt. Max, naturally, didn't provide the pick-me-up Millie needed to hear. "Did you forget you had Dunn or something?"

His tone angered Millie a little but she bit her tongue as Will just shot his sergeant, who wasn't even looking at them, a cold look. Millie took her seat back at Jo's desk and pulled up Dunn's file. "I recorded all the names in his address book so hopefully one of these will provide something." Her words were to Will, who gave a curt nod and pulled up the file himself on his computer, but she knew Max was listening in when he felt the urge to comment again.

"What do you think will happen? Dunn will answer and tell you exactly where he's gone?"

Will caught Millie's eye and the PC held up one finger to indicate Max was about one more smart-ass comment away from having a file tossed at his head. She just wasn't up for any of his smart-alec this afternoon. "Well, you never know who will slip up sarge." The double entendre was so obvious even Max caught it and finally turned in his seat.

His eyes narrowed at her and she could sense him searching her expression for what, exactly, she meant. "I'm sorry PC Brown?" The PC part wasn't half exaggerated and it was that which pushed her.

"Just saying sarge, Will and I were trying not to get shot. What was your excuse for losing Natovnia?"

Max's face contorted into a mix of anger and, dare she say it, he looked a little impressed by the snap. "Check every single number on that list PC Brown," he eventually remarked, his tone suggested he was squashing any kind of emotional giveaway, "leave no stone unturned. We need Dunn."

"Absolutely sarge." Her lips formed a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. With another quick scan of her features, Max turned away. Wrinkling her nose and shaking her head just a little, Millie turned back to the phone and started to dial.

*

"Anything?" Will asked twenty minutes later as Millie hung up again, this time with an amused look on her face.

"Dunn's creepy landlord says he's going to sue us." Max gave a small snort of laughter but didn't turn to face them so Millie continued. "Something about Dunn leaving his belongings behind and now Duggan says he has to clean it all up."

"Leaving his stuff behind? Could that mean something ominous?" Will asked, glancing between Millie and Max.

Max shook his head, finally looking at them, albeit momentarily. "Not likely. He was probably just happy for an excuse to get rid of it. Everything looked like it had either been given to him by his grandmother or a bunch of people who secretly hate him."

Before Millie could respond Hayleigh pushed open the swinging doors holding a bunch of tapes and DVDS and dumped them loudly on the desk in front of her. "Will, Stuart called me, told me to tell you he wants you down at the hospital to watch Nadir. Says he has stuff to do."

Will frowned. "Why didn't he call me?"

"Your phone's dead; that could be why." Hayleigh chuckled as Will pulled his phone from his pocket and growled at it. With a glance at the list on his computer screen he shut it down and left the office, still glaring at his phone the rest of the way out. "I'm stuffed. Do you know how many CCTV cameras there are over the Whitegate? I'm surprised ANY crimes happen there. The place is wired up to the eyeballs." Max glanced at her over his computer but said nothing. "Yes sarge, I did have fun collecting them, sans car, in the midday heat." She fanned herself with a sheet of paper as Millie pushed herself out of her seat and joined her.

"What torture has been dished out on you today?"

Hayleigh's eyes snapped up to the PC. "You say 'today' like there will be more of this." Millie gave a knowing smile as Hayleigh continued. "Any footage of Nadir, Natovnia, anyone else, coming or going to the meeting. There's cameras everywhere except on Arthurs itself. There doesn't seem to be any angles that could catch a decent image of Dunn or Natovnia so we can't be certain Dunn went with Natovnia like we suspect."

"Well Arthurs isn't the Bermuda Triangle so we can safely assume he didn't disappear into thin air," Max started, pushing himself up from his desk.

"Oh thanks for ruling that out sarge." Hayleigh's comment dripped of sarcasm and Max heard it, coming to a stop in front of her desk. "Let me just strike that off my list of suspicions." She drew a line through an imaginary list. Millie struggled to keep a straight face. "Next suspicion; he was kidnapped by Bigfoot. I'm tossing between that, aliens and Voldemort."

Max just shook his head. "I'm going to the canteen if you need me, or want anything."

"I'm right sarge." Millie smiled.

"Me too." At this Hayleigh slid two pieces of bread out from her bag, opened them and then slapped on a slice of cheese. Flipping them together she took a bite, half the crust hanging from her mouth. Millie grinned but Max looked away in disgust. "Cheese sandwich ala Hayleigh Spark." She beamed, tugging the crust from her teeth and setting it down on the table in front of her with the rest of the sandwich. "Interested?" Max walked away. "Well, not all of us have a sergeant's pay to live on." She looked at Millie. "Snob."

"Just have those watched and catalogued by the time I get back," Max called back as he left the room.

Millie finally released the long-held laugh. "Here, give us one and a few of those DVDs while you're at it." Hayleigh nodded. "And trust me, these are not that much simpler than the ones at the canteen." Taking the CCTV and settling down on the desk opposite, Millie got to work.


	13. Samuel

_Chapter Thirteen;  
_Samuel

"Sarge." Stuart glanced up as Millie spoke. When he'd returned to the office DC Spark and PC Brown had been chatting as they watched the large pile of CCTV footage DS Carter had dumped on them. Now was the first time he'd been addressed by the women and he stood and went to them as Millie froze the screen.

"Who is it? Natovnia?"

Millie shook her head. "No, it's Samuel Bolt, I'm certain." She tapped the screen and Stuart looked closer. "He's only two streets away from the meeting which takes place in…" she motioned to the clock in the top right-hand corner of the screen. "Ten minutes."

"What is he doing here?" Stuart asked, frowning at the image. He pressed play and watched the boy turn into a nearby laneway, leading away from the exchange. "Hazel Lane, any footage?"

"No, the camera's out, but assuming he doesn't cut across the park, we should pick him up again on the Whitegate Estate in a few minutes." She rifled through the DVDs and frowned. "Whitegate?"

Hayleigh held up a DVD. "Here." She passed it to them and Millie stuck it into the computer, speeding through for a few minutes until they came to '10:50am'.

"Okay, that's the last time we had him. So, he should emerge soon." Stuart frowned at the screen and they sat waiting for a good five minutes before he sighed. "He must've cut through the park." Millie hit fast-forward and watched the exit to the laneway, but no one emerged for the next half-an-hour and when they did it wasn't Bolt. "Any CCTV footage on the park?"

"Not on the Hazel Lane entrance. There's a few here, but he could've come out anywhere, any place." Hayleigh motioned to her pile.

"He could've come out on Ryde Road, that'd put him directly in line with Natovnia's escape route." Millie frowned at her pile. "But that's residential, there are no cameras down there."

"Great, London is the CCTV capital of the world and the one time we need it they decide to give people privacy." Stuart growled. "Okay, nice work Millie, you may have something there. Check the rest of the exits of the park, hopefully we can get him on one of those." He glanced at the doors as Max and the DI entered. "Samuel Bolt's back."

Neil frowned. "What?"

Stuart picked up the CCTV footage. "On Hazel Lane at 10:50 this morning. Coincidence?" He handed Max the footage and the DS took it to get a still. "What do you think Guv?"

"I don't believe in coincidences." Neil looked over Millie's shoulder as she played a tape on the west exit of the park. "You think he was in on the meeting?"

"If he was then why not just move right in on it? He's just hanging around the back streets as if, I don't know, he's trying to get one of them on their way out." Millie spoke, pausing the footage. "Like he's waiting for someone."

"Maybe." Neil glanced back at Max as he returned with a still and handed it to the DI. "Get this down to Sergeant Smith, get him to circle it through uniform. Let's find Samuel Bolt and bring him in, now."

*

Will was bored at having been returned to the unenviable task of watching a sleeping patient. This was a uniform job – he should know the amount of times he'd been forced to do it when he'd still been in uniform. Still, trying to pass the job off to uniform seemed highly unlikely, as Sgt. Smith had already managed to find an excuse to leave them out of it. So, now stealing grapes from a bunch sitting on Nadir's table, Will yawned and lay his head back on his chair, eager for a quick snooze.

A shrill beeping stopped any chance of that.

Will's eyes snapped open at the sound as the machine to his left started to flash, a bright red number getting larger and flashing harder every second Will watched in stuck silence. Then reality set in and he grabbed the alarm and pressed it hard.

He figured the nurse must have already been on her way because she burst into the private room only moments later and grabbed the machine, pressing a few buttons to try and figure out what it was telling her was wrong with her patient. As she gave Nadir one quick look she frowned back at Will.

"I'm sorry DC Fletcher, you're going to have to leave." At these words two more nurses and a doctor joined her, going straight to the bed and starting to move it and the machine Nadir was hooked up to towards the door.

"What's going on?" Will asked the nurse that first came in as she started from the room. "Just, a summary, I know you don't have much time."

The nurse gave a brief smile at Will's understanding. Clearly she wasn't used to many people who appreciated the pressure nurses were under. "His stats have fallen. We think internal damage. He'll go to surgery and we'll find out exactly what's going on."

Will let her go but gave a brief call after her. "Whenever you're free I'd appreciate a full report for my DI." The nurse just gave a quick hand gesture which Will took as a 'sure' then, grabbing a few more grapes, he started for the waiting room where he could give DI Manson a call and an update.

*

Max trawled through the last of the tapes, handed the pile when Millie left to brief Sgt. Smith. He frowned at a mass of people he didn't know, nobodies and no sign of Samuel Bolt, when suddenly he stopped. There, right on the edge of the park, stood a figure. He tried to get a better look at him but could get nothing. He glanced at Hayleigh who was watching her screen whilst picking at something caught in her two front teeth. "Do you have any footage on the west side of the park, near the Bridle Street entrance?" She rummaged through her pile silently then handed him a tape marked 'Lawson and Son's warehouse'. It was the tool shop across the road on Bridle Street and gave him a perfect shot of the park entrance. He scrolled through and stopped when he saw the man walking down Bridle Street and towards the park. Then, just by sheer dumb luck, he looked almost straight at the camera and Max gave a sly smile.

"Got you."


	14. Ben

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Bill. I have no Met money to give. Awwww…

_Chapter Fourteen;  
_Ben

"Guess who." Max clicked on the picture and it enlarged, taking up most of the whiteboard.

"Ben Holman." Stuart glared at the picture. "I had him down as a harmless prig."

"What's a prig?" Millie asked, frowning at Stuart.

"A self-righteous moralistic person," Stuart explained.

"Like a librarian," Stevie added. Millie nodded, understanding the explanation, then glanced at Will who'd just started mumbling under his breath about a librarian he'd encountered. He'd been returned from the hospital after Sgt. Smith had relented (Will had put it down to a charming smile from Millie when she'd gone looking for aid to find Samuel Bolt) and put PC Taylor on Nadir-duty. Nadir was still in surgery, the nurse's assumption of internal bleeding having been proven correct. Something had happened during the shooting that had ended with Nadir getting a chip of bullet in his bloodstream and the chip had cut at a vein near his kidney. It wasn't hard to stem the bleeding from the vein but finding the chip and removing it before it cut anything else was the issue. How it got in there was still confusing doctors however.

"I thought he was just the type that sold out people who met up to organise crime in his club. I never thought he had the balls to do it him… self…" Stuart trailed off, turning his attention on Will as he realised the DC was still muttering on. "Whenever you're done Will."

Will glanced up, shocked that every eye around the desk was on him. "Oh sorry, just my school librarian, what a bi…"

Millie cut over him. "So what part does he play in all this?" She directed her question at Max who was still standing at the computer, watching Will and the others from the corner of his eye with a half-pout forming on his lips. His eyebrows rose at the question and glanced at the PC.

"Not sure, but I'd hazard a safe bet he's that right-hand man we were looking for."

Stuart nodded. "I would too. Maybe even more. Who's saying he hasn't been hosting these little get-togethers at the Harley Club as a way into the trade?"

"Knock Bolt out of the picture?"

"Maybe," Max stood and returned to the desk, sitting down on it rather than the chair he'd been allocated. "Or just waiting for us to knock him out of the race."

"He did give up Brecht pretty easily," Millie thought aloud.

Max nodded, wagging a finger in her direction. "Yeah…" He scratched his top lip, deep in thought, and frowned at the table. "But what if that's not all of it?"

"What do you mean?" Hayleigh asked, speaking for the first time in the whole meeting.

"Samuel Bolt," Millie breathed.

"Exactly. All Bolt needed to do was talk a little too loudly about the drugs and Holman has likely heard more than enough about Bolt's nephew."

"And if Samuel is working with Natovnia then it wouldn't be hard for Holman to find him." Stuart added.

"This whole time I was certain Samuel was working with his uncle. What if it's the exact opposite – he was working to undermine him?"

"I find that a lot more believable." Millie piped up again, lost in her own thoughts as she looked at the table. "That whole family hates Craig Bolt."

"I can safely second that," Hayleigh added. "Andrea threatened to pour boiling water over my head once. Had the kettle and everything."

"So why are we saying Samuel was at the park then? Did he have a tip-off Craig would be there? Or was he aware Holman would be there?" Will asked, trying to straighten out how Samuel Bolt was involved.

"He's working with Natovnia."  
"He's trying to get to Holman."

Both Millie and Max spoke at exactly the same time, their two very conflicting answers causing them to glare at one-another. Stuart intervened before the argument could go any further. "Whatever Samuel Bolt's up to, I think we can connect his role back to one thing – David Bolt owes Natovnia fifty thousands pounds and Samuel has somehow found out about this. He knew about the drugs Craig planted on his sister, so who's to say he doesn't know about this too?" That seemed to satisfy both Millie and Max and the two of them dropped their glares. "We need Samuel Bolt, but until we get him we need to keep an eye on Ben Holman. So, who gets the unenviable task of begging the DI for surveillance money?" All eyes quickly left Stuart's face. He took that with a smile. "Whoever volunteers has free reign to leave here as soon as they get a response. The rest of you get to do paperwork all afternoon." Still no one raised their heads. "Fine; you're all a bunch of little girls. DS Carter, DC Moss – go work your magic." The pair sneered at Stuart as they left the room. Stuart continued. "Rest of you – Hayleigh, find out some more on Ben Holman's financial records and set up a trace on his telephone. If he's spending money, I want to know where he's spending it. Will – get back down to the hospital and keep track of Nadir. PC Brown – back to uniform. If anyone's going to find Samuel Bolt I have a sneaking suspicion it would be you." The three of them nodded then frowned at Stuart.

"And what are you doing?" Hayleigh finally asked on behalf of them.

"Taking the rest of the afternoon off." He grinned. "Motivating you lazy buggers is the hardest job in this place." Then, with a wink, he sauntered from the room.

*

"But what, exactly, is his connection to Natovnia?" Neil barely looked up from a very large pile of papers as Max tried once again to get the approval they needed.

"Well, we're not certain yet, but he's completely disappeared off the radar, right when Bolt escapes custody, and you always say you don't believe in coincidences."

Neil gave Max a dark look. "Don't use my own words back at me DS Carter." Max frowned but didn't drop eye contact with the DI. "Look, telling uniform to keep an eye out is one thing, but a full surveillance operation is expensive and the Met can't afford to just hand them out on a wing and a prayer. I'm sorry DS Carter but I'm going to have to deny it."

"Guv, he may be our only way in now that we've lost Dunn," Stevie tried.

Neil didn't look fazed. "Then arrest him when you find him, I'm sure you'll find something to arrest him for. But I can't justify the amount of money needed for a surveillance right now." Stevie's face fell. Max just kept scowling at nothing and no one in particular. "Now, if that's all." The pair nodded and left.

"Well, this sucks."

Stevie shrugged. "It could be worse. I'm sure we'll still find Holman, eventually."

"How could it get worse Stevie? We have no chance of finding Holman without surveillance, Natovnia is most definitely well aware we're after him, Brecht has disappeared, Bolt has escaped custody and the only kid who seems to know what's going on is harder to catch than St. Nick. Please, tell me how this could get worse." Then, grabbing some belongings off his desk and ignoring the looks of the other officers in the room, Max left the office. With a shake of her head Stevie went back to her desk.


	15. Canley Commercial

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Bill

_Chapter Fifteen;_  
Canley Commercial

Stuart pushed open the CID swinging doors grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Happy non-Trial day ladies."

Stevie furrowed her brow. "What are you so happy about?"

"This!" He pulled from under his arm a newspaper and flipped it open, showing it. It was the Canley Commercial. "Read it?"

"No, I'd rather watch paint dry." Will groaned.

"Grass grow." Millie added.

"Will try to work out the alphabetical organisation system." Stevie added with a grin in Will's direction. He scowled but had nothing to add.

"Well maybe you should because," he pulled open the paper with a flourish, "BAM!"

It took the rest of the team a few seconds to realise what they were looking at then they all spoke at once.

"That's me!"

"Sun Hill?"

"Cantankerous Cops?"

"Seriously, why is there a photo of me?"

Stuart grinned at the reactions. "You need to read more."

Max pulled it from his grasp and laid it flat on the table to read. "This is bad," he muttered as he scanned it, the others standing around him to try and read it too.

Will spoke again. "Seriously though, how did I become the poster boy of this mess?"

"You're the pretty one." Stevie grinned.

He ignored her. "This photo is old. I'm still in uniform."

"Think the Top Brass knows?" Millie asked softly, trying to read the article without touching Max lest the move set him off. She'd been sharing a room with him for over twenty minutes and he still hadn't insulted her yet. It was a good morning.

"Oh good, you're all here." Neil Manson's voice came from the door and they all looked up quickly. Stuart made to speak but Neil held up a hand. "Hold that thought for five minutes while I go kill our media officer."

"I think he knows," Millie answered her own question.

"This is really bad." Hayleigh groaned, leaning over the computer so she could read the article upside-down. "Really bad."

"They've named me SIO."

Stuart laughed. "Yeah, that's the best bit."

Max growled. "'The motley crew, led by Detective Sergeant Max Carter, best known for his work with the Polish community, have to be commended this week for two things: letting hardened criminals go and avoidance of those who wish to catch out their foibles.'" Max frowned. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"You let people go and then don't talk to the media about it." Millie interpreted. Max gave her a cold look and she literally took a step back, bumping into a still pale-faced Hayleigh. "You okay?"

"No, this is really bad." She leant over and tapped the name. "Geoff Bradshaw." She pointed an accusatory finger at Stuart. "You didn't tell me it was Geoffrey Bradshaw."

Stuart held up his hands. "I told you it was the editor of the Canley Commercial."

"He's not the editor. The editor is a chubby old guy who is quite content with stories on local rugby clubs, junior football teams, cake drives and puppies! This guy is a crazy tabloid journalist in training. The Canley Commercial is just a stepping stone to other tabloid newspapers that hate everyone like _The News of the World_ or _The Sun_."

"You know him well then?"

Hayleigh nodded. "And he hates me. Well, Craig, but mainly me. Of course that could be because I turned on him and a bunch of protestors with a high-pressure hose."

"What?" Stuart gasped.

Hayleigh nodded. "He was petitioning on our front lawn for the shutting down of the brothel."

"Why didn't you just call us?" Millie asked.

"No offence, but you know as well as I do that you wouldn't respond."

"You really set on them with a high-pressure hose?" Hayleigh frowned at Stuart but he just grinned. "No, really, it's a compliment. Considered working for the riot squad?"

She bypassed commenting on the 'compliment' and skipped straight to the point at hand. "I know what Bradshaw is like and the fact is he probably spent the entire day yesterday stalking Sun Hill like some creepy SOB, casing the joint for any information he can twist into some crazy angle. Think dog with a bone, Will with a hot dog kind of way."

"What is this? 'Pick on Will day'? Isn't it bad enough I'm the poster child for apparent police incompetence?"

"Two pages worth." Stuart pointed out, holding up two fingers with a grin. Will just scowled again.

"It gets worse." Max spoke up. "'The team has been seen being aided by local anti-celebrity Hayleigh Bolt. How a police investigation into corruption, drugs and general anti-community behaviour in this area can be expect to be done properly when being supported by the Bolts is beyond this writer.' This isn't an article, this is one man's one-man campaign against us!" It wasn't often emotion crept into Max's tone, but the disgust and shock was there for all to hear. Max was a few more comments away from the boot in the proverbial backside. Stevie saw the trouble looming and removed the paper slowly from in front of him, almost like removing a gun from before a criminal – with slow, deliberate moves designed to make the offender feel completely at ease with losing control. "I'm guessing this means he's worked out it's Bolt we're after."

"Unless he's an idiot, yes, I think you're right."

"He's not an idiot. He's many things, but idiot isn't one of them." Hayleigh sighed. "Any chance of getting anyone to talk has gone flying out the window. They'll know perfectly well what this is all about now. Holman's probably already aboard his flight to Majorca."

"Wait, he hates Craig right? He hates the whole brothel business?" Millie asked, frowning at her hands.

Hayleigh nodded. "Yeah, one of those do-gooder types. He'd be onto us because he'll be thinking we're trying to cover something up. Paranoid, aliens, bigfoot type of man."

"So what if we just tell him the truth? Under the promise he doesn't print anymore, to ensure he doesn't threaten the investigation."

"That won't be enough, he wants his name on something, to be a somebody." Hayleigh frowned.

"Well what if he can be? You said he was a dog on a bone. What if we give him a bone to find? Someone we haven't been able to find ourselves." The others were listening now as Millie continued. "The DI says we don't have the Met money to chase Holman unless we have concrete evidence he's involved. Well, what if we get Bradshaw to do it instead?" She smiled. "You know, doing good for the community and all that."

Stuart gave a small smile. "It could work." He motioned to Hayleigh's jacket. "Grab your stuff, we're going down to the Canley Commercial offices to find ourselves a local hero."


	16. Bradshaw

**Disclaimer: **If I owned The Bill I'd be rich – rich I tell you!

_Chapter Sixteen;  
_Bradshaw

Millie knew she wasn't about to enjoy the task Stuart had left her when he and Hayleigh had gone off to the Canley Commercial headquarters looking for Geoff Bradshaw. She put it down to one fact – she was going to have to watch her SIO terrorise, once again, a family she had grown to care for.

"Max, PC Brown, I'll need you to head down to the Roxons and fill them in on what's going on with Samuel. We need them on side and that means telling them everything that's going on."

Millie had opened her mouth to say 'can't I go alone or just take anyone other than Max?' but one look from the cold-hearted DS had been enough to silence her. He seemed to have predicted the question and just answered on their behalf. "Sure." As Stuart and Hayleigh walked off Max picked up a file of photos and glanced at Millie. "Coming?" She followed him to the car slowly. When they got there he frowned. "You haven't yet asked me to let you do all the talking."

Millie looked up quickly at the words. "Sarge?"

"PC Brown, you have the connection with this family. You're the FLO. The last time I spoke to them I made Ms. Roxon cry. For that reason I expected you to tell me, in your own brand of nice way, to back off."

"Sarge, I just think that maybe you're a bit too forward with them, that's all." Max gave her a blank look. "It's not, well, I guess it sorta is but y…"

"Spit it out PC Brown."

With those words Millie got her fight back. It was funny how standing before him in uniform once again had made her slide back into her old self, the self before the kidnapping trouble, but now she reminded herself of it and spoke out again. "It's just not your thing to connect to people, understand their feelings, and I think that is where you and I differ the most in our dealings of people."

"And of course you think your emotional connections are far more useful of a trait than my rational ones."

"If I didn't know better sarge, I'd think you just called me an irrational sop," Millie said darkly, arching an eyebrow at him.

"And you called me an unemotional ice man." Millie gave the smallest hint of a smile and it seemed to break the tension. "PC Brown, the Roxons are your area, not mine. I'm just here to shake photos in their faces. I promise to avoid making any of them cry."

"Thank you sarge." Then, with a silent agreement formed between them, they got in the car and headed for the Roxon's house.

**

The Canley Commercial's offices were located on the third story of the Canley council building. Stuart was being particularly lazy so they took the lift, managing to find themselves sharing it with two councilmen who were bickering about the latest funding cuts. The fat one seemed unhappy a local school had just lost money to build the new computer room. The thin one was pointing out the money was going to be used to up the councillors' pay. Suddenly the fat one wasn't so upset. "Overpaid bastards," Stuart muttered loudly as they reached the third floor, ensuring the two men heard his words. "What relevance is a councillor anyway?" He glanced back as the elevator doors closed behind him, two unimpressed councillors beyond. Stuart just grinned back at Hayleigh. "Couldn't miss such a perfect opportunity." She just raised her eyebrows and shook her head back at him as they pushed their way into the Commercial's office. The wiry blonde receptionist gave their badges a blank look as they explained they needed to see Geoffrey Bradshaw, before picking up the phone and asking them to wait. Hayleigh scanned the office's walls and found herself looking at a photo of herself and her husband. Stuart seemed to see it too and got up to read it. "Look here, you're famous."

"For all the wrong reasons." Hayleigh just grinned and looked back at the connecting door as it was pushed open by a familiar face. He blanched at the sight of her.

"Mrs. Bolt?" Geoffrey Bradshaw was about as threatening as a coconut. He was a chubby man, middle-aged, with a baldhead and thick eyebrows. But looks were deceiving and Hayleigh knew that if you crossed Geoffrey Bradshaw he would make you pay with his words.

"Detective Constable Hayleigh Spark actually Mr. Bradshaw." She flipped out her warrant card and his eyes widened. "And this is my sergeant DS Turner. We need to talk to you, in private if that's possible."

Bradshaw nodded. "My office is through here." He was clearly still flustered by the admission Hayleigh was a cop because it took him a few tries to get his office door open. Then, as he shut it, he dropped into his chair and took a large mouthful of coffee. "Uh, what can I do for you officers?"

"This morning's article Mr. Bradshaw?" Stuart asked, picking up a small pink stress ball on Bradshaw's desk and squeezing it, looking surprised when it let out a small squeak like a dog's chew toy. "Care to explain?"

Mr. Bradshaw's cockiness completely returned then, snapping the chew toy from Stuart's grasp. "Ah yes, good wasn't it? Of course it was hard to get information when your DS Carter refused to talk to me. Probably what set me off actually."

Stuart scowled. He should've known Max's 'executive decision' would come back to bite them in the ass. "What you've done Mr. Bradshaw is compromised a police investigation. That's a detainable offence. We should arrest you right now."

"And you, DS Turner, should tell your media department to work harder. Mr. Bolt is a much-despised member of this community and as a representative of this community; it is my job to ensure that it is well looked after. Your laid back attitude to losing Bolt is not good enough."

"How much do you know about the investigation Mr. Bradshaw? What leads you to believe we're 'laid back' in our 'attitude'? Because I can tell you know, the team behind this investigation have been working harder than anyone I know."

"I know you were after Mr. Bolt for trafficking women. A source told me that. And don't ask who because I won't tell you," he held up a finger as Stuart started to speak and the DS fell silent, "all you need to know is that he too is worried about Bolt's growing power in this area. And now I've found out you had him and lost him… well." He shook his head judgementally. "It's not good enough."

Stuart took a deep breath as Hayleigh took over. "Geoffrey, I know we've had our differences in the past," Bradshaw nodded slowly as Hayleigh continued, "but right now we're both after the same thing and we need your co-operation to do so." She pulled from her pocket the photo of Ben Holman. "Have you seen this man?"

Bradshaw frowned at the photo then glanced at them. "If I help you, what will I get from it?"

"The only paper to receive information on the investigation – imagine sitting in the front row at the court proceedings, exclusive interviews when we catch our men and of course the knowledge you got what you worked so hard to achieve – Bolt out of your neighbourhood."

"I want the exclusive on your story Mrs. Bolt or DC Spark or whatever your name is."

Hayleigh frowned as Stuart looked at her. Hayleigh still hadn't shared any information on her time undercover and looked hesitant, but eventually she relented. "Fine, but you know you can't have any of this until we find and convict our men right?" Bradshaw nodded. "Do we have a deal then?" Bradshaw shook on it. "And no more stories or we will arrest you alright?" Bradshaw nodded. "Okay, so have you seen this man?"

Bradshaw nodded again. "I saw him when I was staking out the home of Bolt's brother last night. He seemed to be staking the place too. Disappeared when he saw I'd spotted him though."

"David Bolt?" Another nod. "16 Doral Rd?"

Bradshaw shook his head. "No, the apartment."

Hayleigh and Stuart frowned then realised where they were talking about. Stuart grabbed his phone then and made the call.


	17. Watcher

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any characters in this piece…

_Chapter Seventeen;  
_Watcher

As soon as they arrived at the Roxons apartment they knew something was wrong. The door was wide open and the contents of the house strewn out onto the walkway before it. Millie raced inside calling for the family while Max scanned the area beyond with furrowed brow. That was when he spotted the dark blue car parked just around the corner. He grabbed his radio and called for a vehicle check as Millie rejoined him. "They're not here sarge. You don't think something's happened do you?"

Her eyes looked wide with worry but Max just gave a stock-standard response. "I'm sure they're fine." He nodded with his head towards the blue car. "Who do you think that is?"

"After Stuart's call I'm going to say Holman." Millie motioned back into the house. "I'm going to give Eleanor's phone a call, see if she's okay." She stepped slowly over the Roxons' belongings as a voice on the other end of Max's radio gave him the information he needed.

"The vehicle is registered to a Robert Wentworth, address on the other side of Canley." It was Sgt. Smith on the other end, the sergeant taking over any checks from the Bolt team now he'd joined in.

"Who's he in the real world?" Max asked, frowning deeply at the car. He didn't know why, but he didn't like it.

"Bouncer; guess where."

"Harley Club. But of course." Max put away his radio and called back to Millie. "Hey, it's Holman alright."

"I'm on the phone to Eleanor, they're fine. Went to David's place to collect some belongings."

Max didn't really care, as long as they were alive, but nodded and gave a tight smile anyway. "Okay, well, I'm going down to have a chat with our friend Holman. See why he's suddenly become so creepy." He waved a hand towards the mess. "You like these people, you can clean this up."

Millie frowned. "I'll secure the premises for Crime Scene, sure." She said something into the phone and hung up. "I'll get onto Eddie."

Max gave a half wave as he started downstairs, still not really caring for the mess at all. As far as he was concerned it was Holman doing what he'd suddenly mastered – being creepy. Jogging downstairs, clearly in the sight of the car, he gave it a curt wave. The driver seemed to realise he'd been spotted and started up the engine, but Max was faster, jogging up and leaning on the bonnet. Through the window, despite the tint, he could clearly see the Harley Club's owner.

"We just want to talk Mr. Holman." He pulled the car into reverse but again Max was faster, moving to the driver's side of the car and pulling the door open. Holman stopped the car then, knowing he was cornered, and turned off the engine. He stepped out of the car without protest until Max asked him one single question. "The watching I don't understand so much, but I can deal with that." Holman's head sunk. "But why raid their house?"

"What?" Holman shook his head. "I didn't touch the house. I've been here the whole time." Max raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Really…" he held up a hand. "But I did see someone. A young, thin, brunette guy. He was here earlier. Must've been him." Max pushed Holman into the back of his car and slammed the door, grabbing his radio.

"Millie, where are you?"

*

Millie had circled the small line of apartments, having just got off the phone to Crime Scene, when Max's call came through. "Back of the apartments sarge, why?"

"Holman says he saw someone around here earlier. Young, thin bloke with brown hair."

Millie frowned. "Samuel Bolt?"

"That's what I was thinking. But why would he trash his own house?"

"I don't know sarge I…" Millie stopped as she saw him, the figure at the edge of the building watching her. And she knew him. He turned when she spotted him and Millie let her radio fall, barely hearing Max's voice at the other end call as she yelled at the running offender. "Stop!" She went after him, down the street passing five or six parked cars before he turned into a park. Through the park, stepping around two kids on the path, then over a guardrail. Millie didn't stop, even when he darted out onto the road and across into an alleyway, around a sign post and back down another street. Realizing she was slowly covering the distance between them, Millie withdrew her baton and warned him again to stop. He didn't. Instead he started to scale a small brick wall. Knowing the faster way around, Millie kept going, coming out on the other side of the wall not far from him a minute later. His eyes widened at the sight of her, clearly thinking he'd lost her, then picked up pace. She barely registered the sound of footsteps behind her as she was finally close enough to the suspect to grab the back of his hoodie. She brought the baton down on his ankle and he collapsed. There, grabbing her handcuffs, she pinned him to the ground just as the footsteps joined her. Cuffing the man, she pulled him to his feet and came face-to-face with Max.

The DS gave the man a cold smile. "Mr. Dunn" He glanced at Millie. "Good work." Millie gave a smile, all she could manage because she was so tired, and allowed Max to lead the man back to the car. Bending over to catch her breath just for a second, Millie followed.


	18. Poisoned

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 'The Bill' or any characters mentioned in this piece.

Chapter Eighteen;  
Poisoned

"Lewis Dunn, perverting the course of justice." Millie pushed the weedy, pathetic creature forward. He was shaking a little, had been the entire way back from the Roxon residence, but Max had assured her it was all an act. Now that Max had wandered off Millie took the chance to voice her opinion to Sgt. Stone who was on the custody desk. "Mr. Dunn has been suffering the shakes all the way back. I think he may need to see the FME."

Callum agreed. "Sure thing," he motioned to the PC beside him and Dunn was carted off to the nearby cells to await the FME. "And this is?"

"Benjamin Holman, charged for stalking."

"I wasn't stalking, just, you know, watching…" he hung his head, giving in. Slowly he emptied his pockets and made a small mound of coins into one little pile. He straightened them until they were perfect then sighed. "It wasn't malicious, I assure you." His eyes darted between Millie and Callum, but neither paid him any heed.

"Benjamin Holman, 64 Weymann Road, Canley?" Holman nodded. "Okay, Cell 6 PC Brown."

She led him towards the cells and once again Holman spoke. "I get a call, right?"

"We will call someone for you, yes."

"Oh, I can't call them myself?" Holman's eyes said more than Millie was able to read so she ignored it.

"No." They'd reached the cell by this stage and Holman stepped inside without incident. "If you have the number?"

But Holman just shook his head. "It's fine." He took a seat and smiled up at her. "Really, perfectly fine." Slightly spooked by his sudden calm demeanour, Millie stepped back out of the cell and shut the door behind her, turning to check on Lewis Dunn who was now seated on the cell floor, scratching his arm like his life depended on it. Millie said nothing to him; just turning away and heading up to CID to tell them their suspects had been booked in.

*

"You did what?"

Millie didn't cower from Max's growl, simply pursing her lips and frowning right back at him. "In all due respects sarge, his shakes are not for attention like you originally said, he's clearly sick."

"He's obviously taken something of his own accord, probably to buy himself some time." Max turned his attention back to his desk.

"Yes sarge," Millie replied, sarcasm dripping from her lips, "he knew we were going to arrest him and so took something before going to the Roxons' house just to ensure that when he is arrested he'll be able to get under your skin." Max gave her a dark look. "Sarge, you need to see him, he's scratching at his skin and babbling like only one type of user can – ice. I think he's taken Ice." Max shrugged. "Before we can even think about interviewing him we need to be sure there are no methamphetamines in his body."

"I know the law PC Brown." Max snapped, clearly irritated at losing control of the situation. "I know what drugs in his system means." Millie crossed her arms and he frowned. "But right now time is of the essence and I struggle to believe that Dunn is on a high right now. I think it's an act."

"Well we'll know when the tests return and the FME has done her tests." Millie walked away from him then, having had more than enough of the fighting.

But Max wasn't done with any of this. "I'm going to go have a chat with him."

Millie frowned and turned back quickly. "Sarge?"

"Informal chats are allowed; I'm sure you'll find that in your policing manual PC Brown." Her lips stiffened at the old insult again. Yes, she was a stickler for the rules, but did he have to keep referring to it as one of her faults? "Or have you got a problem with that too?"

Millie scowled. "No sarge, of course not."

Max gave a nod then and left the office. With a quick frown Millie followed, deciding to join him if only to keep him in check.

*

"Would you like Mr. Holman for interview now?" Sgt. Stone asked as they joined him, giving Millie a quick look. She shook her head; her facial expression indicating she was not happy with what Max was about to say next.

"I want to chat to Lewis Dunn."

Sgt. Stone narrowed his eyes. "He hasn't been to see the FME yet, and we're awaiting a few more drug tests."

"I just need a five minute chat Sgt. Stone, I'm sure we can manage that." The line was conversational but the tone just dripped with 'do what I tell you to or I'll make a scene', so Callum relented, unlocking the main door to the cells. Millie followed Max inside, motioning to Dunn's cell with one lazy finger. Max waited while Callum unlocked it before stepping inside, leaving Millie watching from the open doorway as Callum headed back to the custody desk. Dunn had moved from the floor, but he was still scratching at his arms, having managed to make a few tracks along them since he'd been booked in. Max stood by the bed as Dunn, now balled up in the corner, frowned at them.

"What?" His voice was the same as before, his tone the same, but something was clear in his eyes. Fear. Dunn was scared of something and Max could clearly see it too as he asked what.

"Is someone after you Mr. Dunn? Has something happened?" He didn't respond, just shaking and turning his attention back to his arms. "What happened at the meeting?" But Dunn couldn't remember. "Why were you at the Roxon residence Mr. Dunn?" Still no response.

Finally Millie asked the right question. "How did this happen Mr. Dunn?"

Lewis' eyes went wide. "Him, Archibald, he poisoned me. Injected me." Millie frowned but Max gave a disbelieving look.

"And why would he do that Mr. Dunn?"

"Because he knew I'd grassed on h…" Dunn's shoulders shook. "He's after me now. After me."

Max lowered his eyebrows. "You went with him Dunn, at the meeting. You left the scene as soon as your mate started firing and went off with Natovnia. So don't expect us to believe you're scared of him all of a sudden. You're best friends as far as I can see."

"He hates me, hates me so much. He tried to kill me, injected me. He wanted me dead."

"Okay, fine, he injected you." Max sighed. "Look, we're awaiting drug tests, but as soon as you're down we're going to interview you, you got that?" Dunn just shook, staring at the far wall like it was coming to hurt him. "Okay, great." Max walked out of the cell then and Millie shut it behind him.

"See, I told you he was out of it." Millie couldn't help but point out he was wrong. He just asked for it so often that any chance she could she took.

"You're right, he's clearly on something," Max paused and glanced at her. "Only someone drugged up on their own self importance would believe what he just told us." Then Max strode off leaving Millie wondering whether he'd looked in the mirror when he was handing out self-importance judgements.


	19. Holman

**Disclaimer: **I still fail to own 'The Bill'…

Chapter Nineteen;  
Holman

When Millie returned to CID she found Stuart and Hayleigh had returned, as had Will, and the mood was sombre with Will's news. Nadir hadn't survived the surgery. He'd failed on the operating table, a heart condition blamed, and had never recovered. They'd tried to revive him four times before eventually calling time of death at a little after 3am that morning. No one had decided to tell Sun Hill however. Typical hospital system. So, going down to visit his suspect, Will had been surprised when he'd been stopped at the doorway and told to turn around and head straight down to the morgue to identify the body. The morning had gone steadily downhill ever since.

"SO19 are investigating, but it looks like a freak accident and they won't be blamed." Will frowned. "Does put us a very good link down however."

Stevie patted him on the back sympathetically as Stuart decided to lighten the mood. "On the plus side, Millie and Max have recovered Lewis Dunn and caught Holman being extra creepy outside the Roxon residence. Turns out he's not sick – just weird!"

"What happened with Bradshaw?" Stevie asked, glancing between Stuart and Hayleigh.

"I think I just sold my soul to the Canley Commercial, but he did give us the Holman connection so maybe it's worth it." Hayleigh slumped back to her desk as Millie frowned. She still had no idea why Hayleigh was so secretive about her undercover operation. She knew the whole business was strange – playing a character for so long that you couldn't help but start to believe you were them – but Hayleigh had revealed little more than the story about her hosing of the Canley Commercial investigator. They didn't even know how she'd been put under in the first place. The whole thing was a mystery and one that she didn't seem keen to share any time soon.

"We'll find out soon enough. Max, you and I will interview Holman. The rest of you, stop looking like you just stepped in something smelly. Millie, I heard about the break-in. Chase up the details and issue the Roxons with a case number for their insurance. Will, Stevie – we need more on Nadir. Get down to the hospital again and find records of anything, any visitors, callers and go through everything he had in his bag. I want his grandmother's phone number by the end of the day." Hayleigh looked up waiting for a job and Stuart answered. "Finished that reading from yesterday?" She shook her head. "Have fun then." Then, with a grin, he strode from the room after Max who'd already gone. Everyone else started on their prospective jobs, Hayleigh failing to hide the disappointment that she'd been left out again.

*

"Benjamin, Benjamin, Benjamin – trouble just sticks to you like glue." Stuart leant forward, placing his elbows on the table between himself and Benjamin Holman. Holman glanced at his lawyer for a second before frowning back at Stuart. "Want to tell us what you were doing at the Roxon home earlier?"

"I wasn't doing anything."

"Maybe not Mr. Holman, but you were watching weren't you? Why?" No response. "Maybe you were waiting for someone? Who would you be waiting for outside the Roxon home Mr. Holman? Samuel Bolt maybe."

Holman gave them a blank look. "I don't know Samuel Bolt. I know of him, he's Craig's nephew, but I have no business with him."

Stuart nodded slowly. "Okay then, so why were you and Mr. Bolt both in the vicinity of Arthurs Avenue yesterday afternoon Mr. Holman?"

"I don't know where that is."

"The Whitegate Estate. You were hanging around there." He opened a folder and took out a still from the video Max had trawled through. "I am now showing the suspect Item 1A, the still from the Bridle Street CCTV camera. That's you isn't it Mr. Holman?" Stuart tapped the picture.

Holman nodded. "Yeah, that's me, but what's this about?"

"At 10:30am we launched an operation to catch a Mr. Khalid Nadir. We used Lewis Dunn to do it. Either of those names mean anything to you?" Holman shook his head. "Of course they don't." The tone is Stuart's voice gave away his disbelief but Holman rightly didn't respond to it. "But the operation had some guests. Yourself." He withdrew another picture. "Samuel Bolt and a Mr. Archibald Natovnia." Holman frowned. "But you knew Natovnia would be there didn't you? Is that why you went?"

"No," Holman shook his head resolutely. "Look, I have no business with Natovnia, really."

"He drinks at your club Mr. Holman, we know you know him."

Holman frowned again. "I know who he is, what he does, but I don't do business with him. He knows Craig Bolt, Nikolai Brecht, but not me. I'm just the bar owner, really."

"So why were you there?" Stuart slapped the picture again.

"I…" Holman stopped. "I… no comment."

Stuart growled. "Who told you to be at the Whitegate Estate at midday yesterday Mr. Holman? I need a name, now."

"Brecht, he called me and told me to go, to wait for him." Stuart put his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes as Holman continued. "We were supposed to meet there but when I got there half-an-hour early and saw your lot, I called him and told him not to come."

"We need his number, right now." Holman wrote it down on a scrap of paper and Max took it to get it checked by TIU as Stuart continued the questioning. "So when did you and Brecht become friends again? Or did you not tell him it was you that helped us locate him in the first place?"

"We're not friends, I owe him some money. I borrowed it a while ago to refurbish the bar. Now he wants me to pay it back in small, high interest increments."

"So you're prepared to sell him out so you can avoid the debt?" Holman nodded. "Of course, happens far too often," Stuart muttered. He frowned at Holman. "Why not borrow from a bank?"

"I have bad credit. Really bad credit. My ex-wife was a drinker, got us into debt. I got us out of it eventually, but the banks still won't touch me with a barge pole. Brecht offered me money and I had to take it." His eyes went wide. "That's it, the bar. That's how you can get Natovnia." He looked shocked that he hadn't thought it before. "Friday nights Natovnia is always in the bar, always." He looked to his lawyer. "If I help you get Natovnia you'll help me out too right?"

"A letter to the CPS, yes, can probably get your charge down to a fine." Holman looked back at his lawyer and the lawyer nodded.

"Okay, I'll help you get Natovnia, at my bar tonight."


	20. Brown

**Disclaimer: **I'm still working on owning The Bill… *mugs writing staff*

_Chapter Twenty;  
_Brown

Stuart clapped. "We're on!"

Millie, Hayleigh and Stevie who were sitting around a table talking, just glanced up quickly. Stevie frowned. "What?"

"Holman's scared and he's playing ball – wants to help us catch Natovnia at his club tonight. Says he can back the boy into a corner for us to rope in." Max walked in behind Stuart not looking anywhere near as excited as their SIO did, but then that was a' given, and right now Stuart looked like he'd just won the lotto. "Looks like our Friday might be looking up ladies." He made a point of including Max under the 'ladies' banner too, just to put a full stop on his enjoyment. "Now all we need is two of you to walk into the fire."

Stevie stayed with the frown etched to her expression. "What do you mean?"

"Holman's plan, because Natovnia likes the pretty ones, is to lure Natovnia from the floor with a girl, a girl provided by a brothel owner he knows and trusts."

Hayleigh gaped. "If you mean me you're kidding. Natovnia would know from Craig, or by reading the Canley Commercial, that I'm not exactly straight anymore."

"There's no way that will work Stuart, Natovnia would know by now." Stevie agreed.

Max glared at the girls, Millie glancing back at him with a frown before looking back at Stuart. "I'll do it."

Stuart's eyes went a little wide. "PC Brown?"

"I'll coerce Natovnia into a side room where you can get him. But I won't play a prostitute, that won't work." She motioned to Hayleigh. "Whether Bolt has spoken to Natovnia or not, DC Spark has never sent Natovnia prostitutes before and I find it hard to believe Natovnia would accept Hayleigh has taken over the business."

Hayleigh nodded. "She's right, Natovnia won't buy the brothel queen bit, not now that Craig's gone. Everyone knows the place has shut down anyway, it was more than public knowledge."

"So what do you suggest?" Stuart asked.

Millie glanced between the two sergeants, her eyes only stopping on Max momentarily as he looked at her in a way that said 'you cannot be serious'. "How about bar staff? Or a VIP? Surely Natovnia would be interested in anyone with money and paying him heed."

"And if she looks like you PC Brown you've got yourself the trifecta." Millie blushed at Stuart's comment as the DS grinned. "Sounds brilliant. VIP it is. Should help get you into his section too."

"Okay, I think we're looking past a few minor details here," Max spoke up finally. "How are we going to convince Natovnia she's some kind of minor celebrity when she hasn't exactly been in the papers recently?"

"I'll call Bradshaw, get him to get his friends with cameras to swamp Millie as she enters. We'll say she's just come into money. Like Paris Hilton – famous for nothing." Millie grinned as Hayleigh pretended to take her picture.

"An heiress, I like it even more – money without the strings or brains."

Max still frowned. "So what, we're just going to send you straight up to Natovnia, sporting a dog in a handbag, and pretend there's nothing dodgy going on?"

Millie frowned. "I am aware of how undercover works sarge, plus Stevie can be my handler, she's a pro."

"I prefer the term experienced." Stevie glanced at Stuart. "I can be the PA, assistant to the useless star."

"I'm all for just walking in, grabbing him and dragging his useless frame out of there." Max said, glancing up as Neil Manson entered.

"Yeah, because that couldn't possibly end badly, bursting into a club full of drunk or drugged twenty-somethings and telling them all you're the police." Millie shot back, her confidence growing under the support of her teammates

"What's this?" Neil asked, having listened in without any idea what was happening.

"We want to send Millie undercover into the Harley Bar to grab Natovnia, but Captain Smarmy over here," Stevie motioned to Max, "won't play ball."

"Limited funds so let's not get carried away. We'll post uniform at back doors, Stevie and Will behind the bar, Max and Stuart watch the front door. Millie, Hayleigh, you two can go inside. You're the most likely to fit in anyway. Stay low-key, dress like a pair of night clubbers, and when Natovnia is in position you can approach him. As you've been on the inside there DC Spark you're a lot more likely to be let through into VIP without turning too many heads anyway, even if they do read the Commercial. Stuart, get Holman to give Natovnia a private section of the club, far away from an exit as possible. Once you have him cornered ladies, you can call in DS Carter and DS Turner and they'll do the hard yards." The team nodded as DI Manson strode away. "Do I have to do everything around here?"

The girls laughed before Max decided to break the cheery mood. "Okay, you heard the plan, so we'll reconvene in an hour for the final touches but for now PC Brown, DC Spark, you can go get ready and we'll see you later." The women nodded and started to walk away before Max called them back. "Oh, and PC Brown, try and look like you belong there, not like you just crawled out of a kindergarten and decided to go clubbing."

"Yes sarge." Millie glanced at Hayleigh who just raised her eyebrows in a way that said 'I'll lend you some clothes'. The women left the office as Max turned back to the others.

*

"Why does he go you like that?" Hayleigh asked as they rifled through Millie's clothes for the perfect outfit. Millie was adamant they would find nothing, but Hayleigh had ordered her to look again just in case she surprised herself, so they'd returned to Millie's home to kit up for that afternoon's briefing. So far they'd stuck with jeans, her favourite boots and an old leather jacket which was unfortunately two sizes too small but Hayleigh promised to stretch with a few choice iron placements.

"Who?" Millie held up a shirt and frowned at it before throwing it onto the 'no' pile.

"DS Carter. I mean, he's a prick to everyone but he does seem to save the special ones for you."

Millie shrugged. "It's complicated… he's complicated."

"Well that's the understatement of the century." The women laughed before Hayleigh pulled a red halter from her wardrobe with a flourish. "Ha ha! I knew we'd find something."

Millie frowned. "That's not mine, it's Lara's, my flatmate's."

But Hayleigh didn't listen, just holding it up in front of the jacket. "Perfect. Wait," she frowned in response. "You wear the same size clothes as your flatmate?"

"Well, different sized jeans, but other than that…"

Hayleigh threw her hands in the air. "Why did no one tell me this earlier?" She pointed dramatically to the wall, indicating the next room. "To Lara's wardrobe!" Then, in a strange marching step, Hayleigh barged into Lara's room (Lara soliciting a small 'what the hell?' as she was walked in on) with Millie lagging behind, quickly regretting putting her hand up for the job…


	21. Harley

**Disclaimer: **as before…

_Chapter Twenty-One;  
_Harley

The briefing went ahead at 5:30pm, Hayleigh and Millie getting their information over the phone as they insisted preparation was the key and didn't want to ruin any surprises. Max thought the whole business ridiculous, but Stuart deemed it hilarious and allowed a phone briefing. "Ladies, Holman himself will meet you, he insists on it. Watch him like a hawk, I don't trust him not to try something if he even gets a second on the floor."

"Like what?" Millie asked, her voice far away as she spoke into a speaker phone, a quick growl behind her leaving those in the room guessing Hayleigh seemed to be attacking Millie with something, by the sounds of it a hair straightener.

"Make sure he doesn't say too much to the bodyguards, gets one of them to phone Natovnia. He and a few bar staff are the only ones who know what's going on and I wouldn't trust a door ape with this kind of information, so they could try anything to keep trouble away."

"Wait, he set this up, so are you now saying he'll try and keep Natovnia away?" Something on the other end of the phone sounded like skin coming into firm contact with something else covered in skin and Hayleigh yelped.

"Maybe. Could be setting this up to get himself out of trouble, saying 'look, I tried to help now let me go'. Or maybe someone else. If Holman's in cohorts with Bolt or Brecht then he could be trying to keep them away."

"I thought they were all working together or something?"

"Have you ever heard of loyalty amongst thieves PC Brown?" Stuart grinned.

"Good point." Millie replied. "So where will everyone else be sarge?"

"Will, Stevie and DI Manson will be inside. Max and I will be at the front entrance and Kezia is commanding uniform. We have PCs Stamp, Taylor, Gayle, Roberts and Armstrong on the doors around the outside and Sgt. Smith is in an IRV with PC Valentine so we're pretty well covered."

"Wouldn't want any other crimes to happen in Sun Hill right now the way we've got this place locked down with half of the relief." Stevie joked.

"Okay girls, we'll see you at 7." They said their goodbyes and Stuart hung up on them, glancing back at the others. "Alright everyone, let's get this show on the road."

*

"Alright sarge, we're here." Hayleigh's voice came over the radio.

"We've got you DC Spark." Seated across the road from the Harley Club, Stuart and Max watched the black taxi pull up and the two women get out. Stuart whistled. "PC Brown! That there is a Sandie from Grease-style turnaround."

Max, who had been watching the other end of the street, looked up. Indeed, Millie had changed dramatically. She now wore tight jeans, heels and a black leather jacket. She'd managed to tame her hair straight and the air of naivety that hung around her like a bad smell had gone. She looked great from afar and neither of the sergeants had any doubt she looked even better up close. But Max ignored it, glancing at Stuart who was now watching him with a grin. "What?" Stuart wiggled his eyebrows. "Yes, she finally listened to my advice, good girl."

"And…"

"And what do you want? The chorus of 'You're The One That I Want'? Get back to watching the club." Max turned in his seat again, ignoring Stuart's grin.

*

Benjamin Holman met the women in the doorway, being watched closely by Stevie who was standing behind the bar pretending to clean glasses and doing a god-awful job of it. "Ladies," he smiled at the bodyguards and ushered the constables inside, past a group of young people standing at the bar yelling for service (which was being pointedly ignored by Stevie) and a man and woman in a fierce argument. The women ignored them and followed Holman to a spot by the far end of the bar. He motioned for the barman to get them both a drink, on the house, and then disappeared out the back where DI Manson and TDC Fletcher (who couldn't emerge due to his recent notoriety) were watching on through CCTV. The coverage in the paper had nearly meant Hayleigh's position too, but after some make-up, a wig and a pair of sunglasses, she was deemed safe to go.

Not that she was enjoying it. "This is itchy," she scratched her head and frowned at Millie. "Who would voluntarily wear this?"

Millie shook her head. "Lara's an actor, she doesn't wear them voluntarily, it's part of the job."

"Ladies." Two drinks were placed in front of Hayleigh and Millie and the pair looked up at Stevie who gave Hayleigh a nod. "You've gone redhead?"

Millie laughed. "Once you go red you never go back." She took a sip of her lemonade. "Anything yet?"

Stevie shook her head. "Nothing, but Holman said to watch the tables at the back, specifically at that dark-haired woman in the corner. Apparently she's been seen here with Natovnia before." The women glanced back at her, but in the dark corner of the room they couldn't make out her face, only her legs and figure.

"Any idea who she is?" Millie asked, glancing back at Stevie who had picked up another glass and was pretending to clean it, giving herself an excuse to ignore the others at the bar awaiting service.

Stevie just shook her head. "Nope, can't get a decent picture of her and Holman says he can't identify her. Can't or won't we can't be certain, but either way she's Jane Doe for now."

Millie's next question was interrupted when someone yelled from the other end of the bar, the crowd getting angry from lack of service. Stevie scowled. "You better go serve them," Millie suggested, "you know, before they turn feral."

"Turn? These people are already feral." But Stevie left, off to aid a young bar worker who looked more than overwhelmed.

Millie just looked back at Hayleigh to see her watching the woman in the corner, a small frown creasing the spot above her nose. "What?"

"Nothing, just, she looks familiar somehow." She shrugged and her smile came back. "Just my imagination. It's too dark to look at her anyway." She lifted her drink and sipped it. "So, lemonade? Not bad for Met money. I was expecting tap water." The pair just grinned.


	22. Bolt

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Bill. Mentioned song is 'Are You The One?' by The Presets.

_Chapter Twenty-Two;  
_Bolt

"_What I wanna know is, are you the one?_" Hayleigh sang along to the music in the club as the pair sat at the bar, sipping lemonades and pretending they were waiting for someone. "_Me and my girl_," she pointed to Millie. "_Having a time, on top of the world_." Millie laughed. "I love this song!" Hayleigh grinned.

Millie shrugged, scanning the room again. "Yeah, it's okay." She couldn't even see the door, the crowd amassing around the bar so large.

Hayleigh just rolled her eyes and put down her drink. "Okay bar-fly, dance floor."

"What?" Millie frowned at the DC.

"You, me, dance floor. Reason 1: better view and reason 2: we're looking too damn fine this evening not to dance." She grabbed Millie's wrist and dragged her out onto the floor where the crowd was much thinner and they had a great view of both the door and the tables off to the side. Millie half-heartedly danced, watching the door, until Hayleigh spoke again. "One trick for any kind of undercover work: try and look like you belong here." Millie looked at her. "You look like you're stuck to the floor." She thumbed to herself. "I'm old enough to know better but Mills, this is your chance to shine so let loose, keep your eyes on the tables over there and at least pretend you're having a night out otherwise Natovnia's gonna walk in here, see you glaring at him then walk right back out again." Millie nodded, understanding the logic. "Good girl. Now, tables and dance, got it?" Millie grinned. "That's my girl."

*

"The girls are having a good time." Max muttered, motioning to the two constables as he and Stuart entered the club.

"They're staying in character Max, it's clever." He glanced at DS Carter as he frowned, watching the women. "They'd stand out if they were propping up a wall…" Stuart trailed off as Max crossed his arms and leant against a wall behind him. Smothering a smile, Stuart pulled out his phone. "Okay, I'm going to see how they're going." Hayleigh answered her phone quickly, the sound of the DJ coming through before her usual 'yellow'-style greeting did. "Seen him yet?"

"Nothing." Hayleigh yelled over the music. "Coming to dance?" She joked.

"I'm going to stay here and make sure Max doesn't glare anyone to death."

"You're missing out." Stuart glanced at Hayleigh who'd turned her back on him, the best method to ensure no one made any connection between the two groups. She knew her stuff.

"Oh, I know. I want nothing more than to be down there with you sexy girls making every guy in this place jealous."

Hayleigh laughed. "You can't flirt with me sarge, I'm a married woman." She paused and covered the mouthpiece as Stuart heard Millie speak. Hayleigh passed it on. "Look, I think we're being stalked. Just came out of the men's. Mill reckons it's Samuel Bolt."

"Serious?" Stuart looked at Max. "Samuel Bolt."

Max pushed himself off the wall, standing up straight and shoving his hands in his pockets. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Stuart returned the phone to his ear. "We can't grab him without tipping off Natovnia. Stick with him, find out who he's meeting. If we're lucky we can get him on his way out without any fuss."

"Got it." Hayleigh hung up.

"That boy is on us like cheese on crackers." Stuart shoved his phone back in his pocket. "I think he's got a crush on you Max."

"Who doesn't?" Max gave a small smile and motioned to the bar. "I'm going to find Holman, make sure he hasn't done anything stupid." Max wandered off as Stuart slipped back into the crowd and tried to remain unseen.

*

"Keep your eye on that camera." Max stepped into the side room, glancing at the CCTV footage as DI Manson instructed Will to watch Bolt. "I'm assuming you're here about our new visitor?"

Max nodded. "You seen him?"

"PC Brown just called him in. We've picked him up near the stairs, so he's either planning to head upstairs and cause trouble in the VIP section, go into the bathroom or make a hasty escape out the side door, in which case he'll find PCs Gayle and Taylor very friendly." Neil frowned at the screen. "He looks like he's waiting for something or someone."

The three detectives glanced at Holman who sat in the far corner of the room going through paperwork. He looked up blankly at the looks. Max asked. "Who do you have up in the VIP section Mr. Holman?"

Holman shook his head. "No one; you checked that, sent your DC up there." Indeed they had sent DC Moss up earlier to case the place and found it empty.

"So, who would he be waiting for by the VIP entrance?"

"How would I know? Why don't you ask him?" Holman snapped. Will glanced up with raised eyebrows and Max frowned. "Sorry," Holman began to apologize, "didn't mean to snap, just stressed. This whole business it, it's costing me money and I need it right now." But he didn't elaborate on why and the detectives left it, turning their attention back to the cameras to find Bolt still standing around the bathroom door, checking his watch and twiddling his thumbs.

"Should we go and intercept him?" Will asked, glancing between Neil and Max.

Both shook their heads. "Just keep an eye on him for now. If he tries to make a move then we'll grab him, but at the moment he's just being strange." Max frowned at the screen like he imagined if he did so hard enough Bolt would actually realise he was being glared at. "Unless he has intel his uncle may be coming here tonight?"

"Well, that would be even better then. Three birds, one stone." Holman spoke up, an uneasy laugh punctuating his sentences. The three other figures in the room just glanced at him and he fell silent again.

Just as Max was about to speak again, DI Manson's phone rang. He put it on speaker and heard Hayleigh on the other end. "Head's up sarge, Natovnia's just arrived."

It was a few seconds after she hung up that they heard it…


	23. Archibald

**Disclaimer: **I own not The Bill

_Chapter Twenty-Three;  
_Archibald

"What the hell?" Millie spun stupidly as anarchy began, the young people around her breaking into screams of 'fire' and 'get out', they all began to make for the many exits around the place, most for the guarded fire doors. Millie didn't fully appreciate the situation until the sprinkler system on the roof roared into life, spluttering water everywhere. "Someone's pulled the fire alarm."

"I know!" Hayleigh yelled, pointing for the men's toilets. "And guess where the lever is?"

"Bolt!" Millie gazed around the room, trying to spot either him or Natovnia, but couldn't see either. "Where are they?"

Hayleigh saw one of them and dashed off before Millie had a chance, at which point her eyes locked on the table in the corner where the woman had once sat. She was gone, but in her place was a figure burrowing under the table, looking desperately for something. She didn't need a second guess to work out who it was and made for him, her movement stopping when a yell came from the other side of the dance floor and she turned back to see Hayleigh fall from the top step (thankfully only three steps up) clutching her cheek. Stuart was nearby but there was no sign of Natovnia who'd clearly eluded them in the mess of people moving for the doors. Suddenly the large number of relief they had seconded didn't seem like enough.

As Millie turned back to find Samuel she noticed he too had heard the yell and looked up, now seeing Millie for the first time. His eyes widened at the sight of her, she unsure but assuming from his expression that he recognised she was a police officer, then stood up and ran for the closest door, a side fire exit where others were now making their own breaks. But Millie was faster, despite the heels, and grabbed him by the collar as he attempted to slip past two young guys and into the throng of people. Steadying herself by grabbing a nearby banister, she tugged him back out of the crowd by his collar. It seemed to strangle him a little and as he emerged he did so grabbing his throat. Millie let him go and he collapsed against the banister.

"What have I done?" he finally protested through gasps.

"Samuel Bolt?" He glanced up at her and she gave a soft smile. "You're not in trouble, but we do need to talk to you." He leant back against the banister again, catching his breath, as Millie noticed Will and Max emerge from the back room. Max's expression looked like he could melt butter with just one glare he was that fired up. Millie decided not to gain his attention until necessary and instead turned back to Samuel. "Why did you pull the fire alarm?"

Slowly he pulled from his pocket a brown paper bag wrapped in Sellotape. Millie took it off him, opened it and glanced inside. It was cash, Euros by the look of it, and there was more than enough there. "It was under that table," Samuel motioned back to the table. "She left it there."

"Who?" Millie asked, closing the bag and holding it above her head to now gain Max's attention. Fiery look be damned, this was important. She'd deal with the second-degree death stare burns later. She saw him nod in her direction and come over with Stuart who was nursing his left wrist in his right hand, looking like a slapped dog.

"They call her Andrea. She's a banker. That's all I know." He closed up then, refusing to say anything else about pulling the alarm or where he'd been. Millie tried to make him promise to talk in the interview but his non-committal shrug was the best she could do.

A few seconds later Stuart and Max appeared at Millie's side and she handed Max the brown paper bag, explaining where it had come from and about 'Andrea'. Max simply nodded and pocketed the bag, allowing Stuart to step forward, his slapped puppy look disappearing as he saw Bolt. "Nice work PC Brown." He grinned, taking the young man by the collar and leading him back through the crowd, leaving Millie with Max and feeling more than uncomfortable when his death glare dropped. There was something safe about DS Carter's death stare. All of his other expressions were unreadable.

"So, Natovnia got away?"

Max shook his head, pursing his lips. "Of course. Any idea why Bolt pulled the fire alarm?"

Millie just shrugged back. "I have no idea, but he's sort of agreed to talk in an interview so maybe he'll tell us then?"

"Mmm, maybe." Max turned his attention down, suddenly very interested in the sticky club floor.

Millie just motioned back towards the entrance where she could just see Stevie holding a bag of ice to Hayleigh's cheek. "How's DC Spark?"

"Angry." Max responded quickly. With a quick glance up he looked her up and down. "I'm glad you followed my advice."

"DC Sparks' advice… sarge," she added, failing to hide her patronising tone. She still wasn't quite over the 'kindergarten' comment from earlier and wasn't in the mood to deal with one of Max's comments right now, especially not now that he was giving her the strangest look she had ever seen. It was almost like he was forcing something out that he didn't really ever imagine himself saying. She got the answer to what that was soon enough.

"Yeah, well," Millie steadied herself for an insult. "You look nice." Then he walked away leaving Millie frowning after him. Her own anger dropping to confusion, she narrowed her eyes at him before giving a small shake of her head and following him from the club.


	24. Bradley

**Disclaimer: **Nothing!

_Chapter Twenty-Four;  
_Bradley

Millie had pulled her light purple jacket over herself for the interview, but still Max couldn't help but picture the black leather jacket and tight red tank-sporting figure from the club. Even now, her hair pulled back and the make-up removed, she didn't look like the PC he knew. There was a different air about her. The naivety was gone. But he forced the image from his mind as he joined her outside the interview room.

"Try and connect with him, talk about his sister and his story. You know the Roxons better than he does, I imagine. Remind him of what he's missed. Once you've softened him up, I'll hit him with the CCTV footage from Hazel Lane and the drugs in his sister's room."

Millie nodded. "Got it." She pulled her jacket tighter. "That's all?" Max gave a curt nod. "Okay." She pushed open the door and stepped inside, the cold tone she'd seemingly reserved for him gone as she smiled at Samuel. "Hi Sam. Now, I know it's late, but we're just going to have a quick chat, okay?" He stayed staring at the table. "Just to be sure, you still don't want a lawyer?" He nodded. "Okay." She glanced at Max and he started the tape.

"Interview with Samuel Elliot Bolt. The time is 21.15. Present are Mr. Bolt, DS Carter and PC Brown." Max took a seat.

"Now Sam, like I said, we just want to have a chat. Remember, you don't have to answer the questions, but anything you do answer would be a great help." He nodded and Millie smiled. "Great." She was silent for a few seconds and he looked up, seemingly the move Millie had wanted. "Before I ask you anything else Sam, I want to know where you've been all this time. Your mother is so worried about you."

"Here and there." He responded, his voice croaky with the early onset of emotions. "Is my mum okay?"

"She's great, just misses you." Millie tipped her head. "But you know that, don't you? You've seen your mother and sister around, haven't you?" He shrugged. "Eleanor misses you. You know she's doing nursing now, right?" He nodded. "But she's been having a few problems, with buying her books."

"Dad should be helping her."

"He is. And so is your uncle."

Samuel growled. "Craig doesn't know how to help people, he only thinks about himself." He glanced up at Millie, wide-eyed. "I saw my aunt at the club, that was why I ran. I wasn't running from you, I promise."

"I know you weren't Sam, but I was there with your aunt because she's police too." Sam frowned. "Your aunt was undercover, trying to prove your uncle has dealings with a gun-courier named Archibald Natovnia. And I'm certain you've heard of him, am I right?" Sam shook his head. "He was at the club tonight, meeting that Andrea woman you pointed out." She glanced at Max who put on the table the bag of evidence.

"Now showing Mr. Bolt item 3A, the bag of Euros from the Harley Club." Max spoke into the microphone.

Millie motioned to it. "We counted it Sam. There's 5,000 Euros there." Samuel stayed silent. "You said it came from this Andrea woman." Still nothing. "Sam, do you know who it was meant for? Was that why you were at the club?"

"I don't go to the club often, I just… it was a one-off."

Millie frowned. "Sam, you've been turning up at a lot of places we've been lately, almost everywhere that Natovnia has been. If you're working for him y…"

"I'm not working for him, I hate him, he's bad, and he hurt my dad."

Millie glanced at Max who finally spoke. "What do you mean by that Samuel?"

Sam calmed down a little and spoke slowly. "Two years ago dad was having problems at work and he went to uncle Craig for help. Financial help. Craig set up a loan with Natovnia, because dad had bad credit and couldn't get any more money from the bank. The interest was insane, but he had no option but to take it. Of course, he fell behind on a payment and Natovnia and his men came knocking. They beat him up, really bad. He had to go to hospital."

"Did he report it?"

Sam shook his head. "He couldn't, he was scared."

Millie frowned. "How long have you been in contact with your father Samuel?" He held up three fingers. "For the tape Sam has held up three fingers. Three years?" He nodded. "For the tape please Sam."

"Yes, I've been in contact with him for three years now. He found me living on the streets and begged me to come home but I wouldn't, so he gave me money to move back to Manchester. I didn't want that either. So he converted the back shed. I live in there."

Millie sighed. "Your father didn't tell us this part."

"I told him not to tell anyone. I don't want to be Samuel Bolt anymore, no one knows me that way. Even my ID says Bradley now." He sighed. "But I had to help dad when he was in trouble. I've tried to, I really have, but Natovnia knows people. Important people."

"You've been following Natovnia, trying to find something to use against him to wipe off the debt." Max deciphered. Samuel nodded. "You should've come to the police."

"I couldn't." Samuel met Millie's eye. "The police are the enemy too."

Millie frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Natovnia knows people in the police. That's how he gets away with so much." He hung his head. "I've done it now. Now he'll kill dad." Millie glanced at Max who turned around and stopped the tape.

"Interview terminated at 21.36." He glanced back at Samuel. "He's not going to kill your dad, we'll get him in Witness Protection, but we need your help. If what you're saying is true, that means someone high up has been dealing with Natovnia for years." He looked at Millie. "It almost explains why nothing sticks to him."

"I don't know who it is, I can't help you. I've been following him to try and find out, but nothing yet. Natovnia's clever, he doesn't do a lot of deals out in the open." Sam looked at Millie. "You can protect my family? My dad?"

"And your mum and your sister, if you'll help us." Millie sighed. "Were you planning to face him tonight Sam? Tell him what you knew?" Sam nodded. "So why did you pull the fire alarm?"

"He was expecting me and I wanted him to know I meant business, so I planned to clear the club, show him not to talk to me like I'm a child. It's stupid, I know, but I thought if he was going to do anything at least this way you lot or the fire brigade would turn up to witness it."

"So you pulled the alarm as soon as he turned up, knowing he'd expect it and stay? Then, as soon as you were finished your business, we'd turn up and hopefully arrest him?"

Sam gave a sad smile. "I didn't exactly expect you guys to be there already."

Max stood up, pushing his chair back. "I'm going to get onto my contact at Witness Protection. We'll get your whole family in." Without another word he left.

Millie just smiled at Samuel. "You did well Sam, despite your bad luck." She stood too and motioned for him to follow. "Come on, we'll go up to the soft interview room and get you a warm drink, alright?" Then, ushering him from the room, Millie flicked off the lights to Interview Room 3 and shut the door.


	25. Witness

**Disclaimer: **I don't own it… yet! Mwah ha ha

**A/N: **For Krissie. Here's your damn Beth inclusion. Happy now? ;)

_Chapter Twenty-Five;  
_Witness

Millie shut the door to the interview room, smiling as the Roxons and David Bolt questioned and mothered their son. David had looked guilty when Millie revealed he'd known where Samuel was the whole time, but the Roxon women seemed so happy to have him back that it was pushed aside, something for Eleanor to use later in an argument. Turning around she noticed Max still deep in conversation with someone on the other end of the phone. She felt a sharp pang of jealousy as he gave a small smile, knowing full well he and the girl at the other end had a history, but smothered it with a nod in his direction when he glanced up at her then started back up to CID where the rest of CID were just finishing up their debriefing. DI Manson looked up at her as she entered. "The Bolts settled in?"

Millie nodded. "DS Carter is watching them now, until Witness Protection get here."

Hayleigh, whose cheek had gone a dark shade of purpley-blue, glanced up at her. "I don't know too many from Witness who will come out at 10pm. They're a bit… what's the word I'm looking for?"

"9 to 5-ish?" Stuart responded.

"Bit like CID." Millie joked, feeling outnumbered when they all looked at her. "Sorry." She held up her hands in mock surrender and they smiled.

"Plus, 'Max Carter has connections'," Stevie grinned, air quotes and all. "Of course he glosses over the fact his 'connection' is PC Beth Green who used to work here, but he likes to be a somebody so we let it go." Will chuckled, Stuart smiled and Hayleigh shook her head. Millie stayed quiet, biting the inside of her bottom lip.

"Anyway," Neil continued, trying to bring them back on course. "You did well tonight PC Brown, keeping your eye on Bolt after spotting him in the first place and then reasoning with him in the interview. I listened to the interview, you did well."

Millie beamed. "Thank you sarge."

"Okay, well, it's late and I'll see you all in the morning." The others grumbled their responses. "I know we didn't get the day we were expecting a week ago. We should have all been sitting in court today watching Bolt go under, but fate dealt us this ugly hand and we've played it as best we can. We all did well. Now, go home and get some beauty sleep, you all need it." Then, with a nod, Neil walked past them all and back to his office.

Stuart turned back to the files on his desk and started going through them as Kezia mentioned something about a pizza place on Canley High Street and Stevie agreed to join her. They walked off chatting, leaving Millie to just drop her notes back on her desk and take a seat, noting a small sticky left on her computer. She read it softly to herself. It was from PC Taylor. "'Thought I'd tell you myself that we had to drive your friend Dunn to the hospital this afternoon. Turns out he may have been poisoned. Vomited in the IRV. You're cleaning it in the morning. Enjoy. –L'." Millie chuckled at her friend's note and scrunched it up, throwing in the wastepaper basket. "Dream on Leon." Then she stood, grabbing her bag and gaining Will's attention to wave a small farewell. Will was analysing a stack of photos but stood and grabbed his coat as he saw her leaving.

"I'll walk you out."

Millie smiled. "Cheers Will."

He waved a sole photo. "Just got one thing to show the DI," he dashed past her, leaving Millie frowning at the voice in her head.

"Not happy with the new addition Millie?" Stuart smiled, looking to the PC as she half-glared, half-frowned at DC Spark.

Millie glanced up at her name and shook her head. "What? No, it's just…" she scrunched up her face and rubbed a spot just above her eyebrow. "I have that damn song from the club stuck in my head."

Hayleigh must have heard this because she laughed. "I so own you Mills!"

Millie just shook her head before Will rejoined her. She smiled at the last two figures in the office then turned away, giving them a half-wave as she pushed open the swinging CID doors. Hayleigh grabbed her coat. "Now, I hear tell from a certain TDC that almost every day in this place ends with a trip to the pub."

Stuart shook his head. "Only jobs well done end with a beer."

Hayleigh looked scandalised. "We did well today. Anyway, where I'm from, beer is for all situations and moods. Now, come on, my shout. It's not like you have anything better to do tonight except read that file until your head hurts." She snatched the file from his grasp and threw his coat at him. Stuart followed with a shake of his head.

**THE END**

_Up Next…_

Life On The Other Side: Brown

In Part 3 of _Life On The Other Side,_ following up rumours about Hayleigh Spark, Millie faces a few things she didn't want to face. Meanwhile Bolt pops back up on the radar, but when he can't get back at his 'wife', he picks on someone else instead… what ensues is a death and a hostage situation that will rock the core of the investigation team.

'Brown' starts December 14th


End file.
